


At Your Convenience

by SonicoSenpai



Category: Lamento -BEYOND THE VOID-, Togainu no Chi
Genre: Aftercare, Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Although damn why I haven’t I written something that needed that tag, Angst, Awkward Sexual Situations, Boss/Employee Relationship, Bratting, Cat Ears, Clueless Konoe, Co-Sleeping, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Discipline, Dubcon Kissing, Embarrassment, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Grooming, Kissing at work, Licking, M/M, Making Messes, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-Consensual Groping, Non-Consensual Kissing, Non-Consensual Spanking, Non-Consensual Touching, Oral Sex, Poking the beast (not in a sexual way), Public Display of Affection, Relationship Issues, Relationship Negotiation, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Tension, Shower Sex, Sticky Substances, Surprise Kissing, Tails, Unrealistic Sex, bathing and washing, sex in a closet, terrible bosses, will update tags as I go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2019-08-22 19:11:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 52,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16603877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonicoSenpai/pseuds/SonicoSenpai
Summary: Guess what I finally got in the mail?? And the first place my mind goes is... what if Rai *liked* his new employee a little too much? I have a sneaking suspicion he wouldn't be a very good boss.Konoe can't go back to his home in Karou but needs a job to stay with the Two-Canes. Tokino refers him to Lamento Convenience Store, which is owned by a handsome but hard-to-read cat named Rai. It's Konoe's first time working, and we start with him on his very first day.While this is based on the drama CD, this will not quite as fluffy as that, since I tend to a little darker. So far, this deals with weird sexual situations at work and sexual harassment, but mostly, i want to to write a sex scene in a broom closet. I will tag appropriately.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So when I get stuck or sick or sore or exhausted, and I find myself slightly terrorized or overwhelmed by my current stories, I find the best fix is to start a new one.

“So that’s about it.” My boss is looming over me—I hadn’t realized how intimidating he was when I first dropped in yesterday. Well, it wasn’t so much as an interview as it was as work-here-or-be-sent-home-to-Karou, and I cannot go back there now. I have no home to which I can return. I would never be accepted there. 

I was referred to this job as a convenience store clerk by my friend Tokino. I’ve heard from him that Rai is a fair boss, but that he loses his temper from time to time. Tokino warned me not to make any mistakes. When I came in to interview, Rai asked if I was the cat Tokino had mentioned to him. He looked me up and down and told me the job was mine if I wanted it, and I could even sleep in the back room if I wanted. Now I even have a place to stay, which is great.

“I’ve shown you how to work all the appliances, the register, and how to make the special waffle on our menu. Aside from that, when deliveries come in, you’ll be expected to restock supplies. Though you seem a little small to be able to carry in some of the shipments we get, our delivery guy will be able to help you out. Otherwise, leave them for me. I need your help with customers. Are you gonna be fine with twelve-hour shifts, though? You look awfully young.” Ribika need lots of sleep, especially when they are young, so I'm sure that's why he's asking.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m happy to have a place to work. Thank you for having me,” I say, almost shyly.

The owner is a good-looking cat— _terribly_ good looking, I think—even as intimidating as he is—and I have to try not to think about it too much in order to make intelligible words come out of my mouth. His slate blue tee shirt is form-fitting with a wide neck, so his collarbones are on display, and the color makes his pale blue eye stand out gorgeously. I said eye, because, yes, his right eye is covered with a black eye patch. I try not to stare, but I can’t help it. He has a broad chest, slim hips, and great legs. He’s wearing _really_ tight black jeans that accent those legs—and his apron, which is tied just above his slender waist, accents a nicely shaped ass. He has white bordering on silver fur, which is long and full, that perfectly matches long, shiny, straight hair, which is currently pulled up in a high ponytail. Even pulled up, his hair almost reaches his waist, though some still errantly floats around his face, framing his chiseled features elegantly. 

Standing next to him, I feel plain—and terribly small. He is nearly three and a half heads taller than I am—well, maybe more, if I’m honest. I’m not sure what I’m even doing here, but I’m grateful he was willing to hire me.

“What is it?” His low voice growls, almost impatiently. That gruff tone is the only one he’s used with me since meeting me. I’m so scared to make a mistake—I’d hate to see him lose his temper if this is how gruff he is naturally.

“Er, nothing. I’m just thankful for the opportunity to have this job and a place to stay.”

“Frankly, I need the help. I’m not so good with customers. I’ve been told I’m intimidating. Hopefully, you can help with customer service. You look friendly enough. But I was asking why you’re staring. Do I have something on my face?”

“Oh, no sir,” I look away immediately, embarrassed. I have been staring too much, but he's good looking and attractive in a way I haven't found another cat before. It kind of makes my heart feel fluttery and weird. As soon as I drop my gaze, though, he silently closes the distance between us and touches my chin, making me meet his eye once more.

“I didn’t say I disliked it.” His pale blue eye is awfully pretty—and from this close, I can see his lashes are super long and plush like the fur on his tail, which is swishing back and forth in a satisfied manner. “Let’s get you a uniform.”

Uniform? He’s not wearing a uniform.He drops my chin and has me follow him to one of the back rooms.

“You can put your stuff here, for now. I’m not sure it’s safe for you to sleep in the store alone, but we’ll see what we can do about that. If I’m here, you’re welcome. At night, this area tends to be a little rough, so don't be wandering about after dark alone.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“And you don’t have to call me sir. Rai is just fine. The sir bit is making me feel weird.”

“I’m sorry, sir—er, I mean, Rai,” but saying his name so casually makes me uncomfortable—and I feel my ears heating up.

“My office is right here. Come on in,” he pushes open the door. The room is small and neat, extremely clean and organized—not a paper out of place, actually—making me slightly nervous. I’m neat but not _that_ neat—and I take another look at my new boss. Looking at his fur—white, long, full, plush, perfect—I could have guessed he would have a perfectly clean office, too. But I’m still a little surprised. “Size small or medium? For a tee-shirt.”

“Oh, probably a small,” I say looking at my feet, and he tosses me a yellow sleeveless tee-shirt with the Lamento logo on the front. The logo is quite cute.

Rai turns around and crosses his arms, leaning against his desk.

“Your jeans are fine—and if you’re cold, you can wear the scarf and your gloves, too. Go ahead, see if it fits or if a medium would be better. Whatever size fits, you can have a couple of them.”

“Right _now_?” I ask, slightly confused. I have lived on my own for so long that I don't know what it's like to take my clothes off in front of another cat. I mean, it's just my shirt, but does it have to be _this_ cat? His body is so much more impressive than mine. And I need to stop thinking about that. It's making me feel weird.

“What? Feeling a little shy?” He asks, a slight smirk playing at his lips—and he sounds like he’s mocking me. Specifically, because I’m a _small_ breed. I might be small, but I’ve got a nice athletic build, and there’s _nothing_ for me to be embarrassed about.

"N-no," I stammer, and I steel myself, staring at the carpet on the ground. It's got a gray and blue diamond pattern on it, and even it is spotless.

I pull my gray tee off overhead and pull on the yellow one in its place. It’s a nice soft fabric, actually, but it will be cold without my gloves, so I keep them on. They are more like arm warmers, really. Rai walks up and fixes the scarf around my neck.

“Cute. It looks perfect. Here are a couple of extras. Go put them in your room. You need an apron, too.” 

“Thank you.” I do as I’m told—finding myself slightly wanting to resist his orders. I’m not sure what my problem is. But I come back out right away, and Rai is holding an apron for me. I try to take it from him, but he won’t give it to me, holding it just out of reach.

“Let me.”

“No, it’s all right. I can d-”

“ _Let_ me.” That commanding voice of his makes me stop and comply with my ears lowered. He loops the apron over my neck and pulls me a little closer. Then, he turns me around by putting his hands on my hips, passing the ties across the front of my waist once. “You are a tiny little thing.” I can feel him tying a bow—a rather large one—right above my tail, and his hands smooth over my ass—and that makes a small shocked gasp come out of my mouth. And then he immediately unties the bow. Then—he loops the apron strings at my waist to secure it and then ties a bow at the base of my tail instead. His hands stroke my ass and hips in that overly friendly way again.

Is this normal? To have a boss that touches you like this? I've never worked before, so I don't really know, nor do I know how to respond. 

“It’s perfectly framed.”

What is framed? I wonder if he means the bow or my ass? I know that’s what he did without looking—I don’t have to put my hands back there to tell, because I can feel that bow tied on my tail. And this is humiliating. I try to pull myself together so I don't say anything I might regret.

“Um, do _you_ wear your apron tied like this?” I ask quietly.

“I think it would mat the fur of my tail if I did,” he says. To my surprise, he turns around. “Think I could pull it off? I’ve never had anyone who could tie it for me. Go ahead.” 

“Um...”

“Go on,” he says, his voice slightly taunting. He flicks his hip just slightly, and that giant fluffy tail flicks in the opposite direction—tickling my instinct to pounce on it. I want to attack it and _bite_ it, to be honest. And then I want to groom the shit out of that tail. I can't help myself! His fur is just so _pretty_!

Obediently, I do as I’m told, pulling his apron around his waist—much slimmer than I expect—realizing it’s impossible to tie an apron without staring at that person’s butt the entire time. I try not to touch him, though. I wrap his tail up in a great big bow and tie it.

“Feels... weird,” he flicks his tail. “I think it will get in the way—but yours might bring in some more customers.”

“My apron?”

“Yes, Konoe. I think the _apron_ will bring in more customers. And gods, do you do everything you’re told so compliantly?” I think the sound of his voice is slightly ironic and mocking.

“Excuse me?” I ask. I look up sharply at the question. Don’t I _have_ to do what he says if he’s my boss? I mean, I don't have a choice, do I?

“I think it’s going to really liven things up having you here,” he ruffles the fur on my ears. “Oooh, as soft as your tail, and supersized.”

“Um, thank you?” I lower my gaze and walk back to the register, making sure the coffee pot is on and that it’s fresh. I’m permitted to have as much coffee and tea as I’d like, but I can’t drink coffee. It makes me too jumpy. I make myself a cup of tea, though, in my own mug, adding a little honey. It warms me up right away. "Would you like a cup?" I think to ask, even though it's the last thing I want to do.

"Sure," Rai answers.

However—when I’m steeping his—I feel eyes boring into my back—and when I peek over my shoulder, Rai is staring at me. I flick my tail nervously, and all my fur fluffs out suddenly, but I turn back around, concentrating on preparing the tea. I lean over the counter a little, hoping he will get the hint he's making me a little uncomfortable.

“I think you’ll be a good addition to the store,” he says suddenly. “You’re pretty thin, though, aren’t you? Help yourself to anything you want if you’re hungry, too. Just keep a list of what you eat by the register. You don't have to pay for it. I'll include it as part of your pay. Where did you say you were from?”

“Oh, um, Karou, but I can’t go back there. And thank you—but I wouldn’t feel right doing that.” I don’t turn around, since I haven’t heard him move. 

Suddenly my tail is grabbed—and that frightens me. It makes me spill the tea—and it burns the tips of my fingers. I hiss in pain. How the hell did he get so close to me without making any sound?  

“Your tail is crooked,” it’s murmured low in my ear, and I am pressed up to the counter—his giant body pushing me up to the counter from behind. I had _no_ idea how large he actually was until he is actually in my space—and now all the hair on my body bristles in... what _is_ this feeling? Surprise? No—this feels like something else. I’m not sure I _want_ him touching me but it doesn’t actually feel terrible. But he is _huge_.

I mean, I find him _incredibly_ attractive—but this is weird. He scared me, first of all—and now he lifts me up onto the counter, turning me around so I’m sitting on the counter just in front of the coffee pot and facing him, making my face is just below his—and my fingers are burning. His fingers are combing through the tip of my tail with one of his hand, and that sends shivers down my tail and up my spine. It's a weird sensation, a little like being tickled, only different.

“Oh—did I make you spill your tea? Ah—your fingers—let me see.”

Taking my hand, he pops my fingers into his mouth and sucks on them. His tongue feels strange, twining itself around and between my fingers, and not just the burned skin but all the way up to my knuckles—but shit, his fangs are fucking gigantic and scary—and I don’t know _what_ the hell he is doing. He's still staring down at me, watching my expression, too. I mean, yeah, I was about to pop my own hand in my mouth to soothe the burn, but this is... weird! He is stroking my tail while sucking on my fingers… and this feels entirely inappropriate! What if a customer comes in?

“Ah—um…” I am trying to protest, but only sighs and little stammers come out of my mouth. My body starts to shake and shiver a little as well, and then my fingers are released. He’s just watching me, keeping his eyes on my face, hand on my tail, lowering the other right next to my thigh on the counter.

“All better now, right?” 

He takes a small step back.

“I’ve never seen a tail like yours before.”  
  
I snatch it out of his hands.

“You can say that because you have a nice tail, yourself,” I snap. His tail fluffs out in a pleased arc behind him. A blush is building up in my cheeks, and I slide off the counter, pressing against his body to get down. Then I turn around and get back to my tea—but I’m terribly ashamed. I’ve never been touched so intimately before, and I’m not sure how to deal with this at work. 

“You don’t like your tail? I find yours is rather… interesting.” He runs his fingers through the tip—after grabbing it _again_!—and I shiver. I can feel my ears blushing furiously. “Wait—can you _feel_ in the hooked part?”

“Well, can’t _you_?” I mumble, trying to pry my tail from his hands.

“I suppose.” When I look up at his face, he has a sort of puzzled expression—to my surprise, it looks almost pleased rather than mocking. “And your ears—they get pink when you blush?” His fingers feel cool against the base of my ears, probably because of all the heat pooled there. And they feel... good. Good? What am I saying?!

“Um, er,” I’m stammering nervously, unsure of what to do, unable to speak or say anything sensible at this point. And why does it feel _good_ to have him stroking my ears like that?

“Oy, Rai—delivery—oy! And who is this adorable creature?” I hear a new voice—and I’m ashamed to be seen like this—my boss with his hands petting my tail and my ears, standing way too close to me while I’m trying to prepare him some tea.

“This is Konoe, my new shop clerk. Konoe, meet Bardo, one of our regular delivery people. He’s always late.” 

“Ah, you took my advice I see.” 

I look up at the new cat’s tone—and he is huge, too. Jeez, where do these cats come from? He’s as tall as Rai, broader still, dressed in a beige delivery person’s uniform. He seems older, though—maybe in his 30s, I’d guess. He’s got black hair and a beard and an orange and black striped tail, and his ears are the same rounded shape as Rai’s, poking out on either side of his hat. I wonder if they know each other—maybe they are from the same village. I’d heard of a place where a larger breed of cat was from—Setsura, was it? They breed fierce fighters, I thought.

“Nice to meet you,” I say, bowing my head. “Please take care of me.”

“I’d be _more_ than happy to,” Bardo replies, in a slippery, teasing tone that takes me off-guard again.

“Fuck off!” snaps Rai, in a tone much harsher than I expect. “He’s working for me, not for you!”

“But look at him—he’s adorable! He’s _just_ what this shop needs,” Bardo purrs. I keep my face down—and to my surprise, he actually pets my ears. “You have the biggest ears I’ve ever seen, kitten. You’re going to be quite popular here.”

“Shut the fuck up, get your damn hands off him, and bring in the delivery,” Rai growls. “Can’t you ever just do your fucking job? Perverted old man.” Those last three words are grumbled under Rai's breath.

“Fine, fine,” Bardo says, and he starts bringing in some boxes. They continue their bickering when I hear a motorbike pulling up, so I hurry behind the register.

“Good evening,” I say. “Welcome. Can I help you find anything?” 

“Just a bottle of water,” the customer says—and shit, he is _scary_. He’s a huge Two-Cane—er, human, I should call him. He’s dressed in all black leather, carrying a motorcycle helmet at his side. Gods, have I always been this short? He glances around as though looking for someone, his eyes traveling toward the sounds of Rai and Bardo arguing. Then, his gaze rests on me for a moment.

It's a predatory gaze if I've ever seen one. Shit—red eyes—like a demon’s, I think. I try not to cower, but it's hard not to feel like I'm being stalked.

“In the fridge, just to your right?” I say helpfully.

He grabs a bottle and carries it to the counter. He’s actually grabbed the blessed water—water that has been sung over by a Sanga to heal impurities from their Touga’s body—and I feel like I should mention it.

“Actually, this is—” 

“It will quench my thirst, won’t it? I've had it before and I like this brand. It’s fine,” he snaps at me. He slaps a few coins down on the counter while looking again toward the back of the store where Rai and Bardo are arguing.

“Thank you very much,” I say, swallowing the rest of my words and flattening my ears, ringing him up. I hand him his change. “Please come again.” I watch as he stalks out of the store. Shit—is that a katana he is carrying on his back? My gods, I haven't seen one of those in a long time.

Rai and Bardo argue back and forth for quite a while before they quiet down, and that finally calms me down. I don’t like listening to them argue. It makes me nervous. What is up with the tension between them, anyway? Their conversation stops when I hear the door to Rai’s office slam, making my fur fluff out. Maybe this was a bad place to work. It can't be good for my nerves. 

“What’s your favorite thing to eat, kitten?” Bardo asks—and he startles me. The question is murmured directly into my ear like he was deliberately sneaking up on me, while I was standing behind the counter. How can he be so quiet, too?

“Um, what do you mean?” I ask, trying to settle my fur and back away from him. Also, I’m slightly nervous of what Rai might do if he saw Bardo standing so close to me. It looks so inappropriate—but why am I even worried about that!?

“You’re so thin,” he purrs, stroking my waistline in an intrusive way. “That’s not a bad thing—you have a nice little shape just the same. I used to own an inn. I made all the dishes there from scratch. Maybe Lamento Convenience could offer a second special—besides the Kadil Waffle. What do _you_ like to eat?”

“Oh—um, kuim? Those are my favorite.” That purple fruit—sweet and sour in turn—is indeed my favorite. But mostly, I need this cat out of my space.

“All right.” Bardo takes two steps to the prep counter. “So how about this: we take some sliced kuim, add some whole milk yogurt (you’re a growing kitten, after all). _And_ to balance the sour flavor: a little ice cream, a little whipped cream, some crushed macarons, since you’re such a little sweetie… and voila!” 

He hands me a little cup—filled with the prettiest dessert I have ever seen—and a spoon. My jaw literally drops and my mouth fills with saliva. I lick my lips slightly, and I hear myself start growl a little—or was that my stomach making that sound? 

“What _is_ this?”

“This is your new store special—the kuim parfait, or Konoe’s Special Parfait. It’s easy to make and not bad for you, either. Try it and tell me what you think!”

Just as I put the first bite in my mouth—the flavors meld together in such a delicious way—sweet and sour—and the texture—fluffy whipped cream, the stiffer texture of the ice cream, the crunchy cookies, plus the combination of temperatures—frozen ice cream, cold whipped cream, and room temperature fruit—oh, my gods! A little orchestra of flavor and texture explodes in my mouth.

I start to purr with pleasure and a gasp of delight comes out of my mouth.

“This is delicious!” My tail curls happily and my ears perk up in delight—and I am quite touched that anyone would make me something so special and pretty.

“Don’t you have your job to get to, old man?” Rai asks, stalking out of his office. “You _still_ haven’t finished your delivery! Why do you continue to harass my staff?”

“The poor kitten looked hungry, Rai—you need to treat him kindly. He’s trying out the new dessert item I created for your shop,” Bardo replies. “I think he likes it.” His voice has a strange tone, however, but I’m kind of too busy enjoying the parfait to worry about it.

“Tch,” Rai clicks his tongue, but then he looks at me—watching me take a bite. And for some reason, both those big cats are watching me eat—taking small bites of the parfait and putting them in my mouth. It’s making me terribly self-conscious. Rai even stops his griping for a moment and rests his elbows on the counter, watching me.

“This is _really_ good!” I say, mostly to break up the awkward air. “I think customers would love it!”

“Do you really?” Rai asks. There’s somewhat of a dreamy quality in his tone now—and it’s so different from how he was barking at me before that it makes me look at his face. He has a soft smile on his face now, but there’s something almost smoldering behind his eye. It makes me feel funny and makes my heart race. Is his pupil dilated? Why? It's so bright in here!

“Can you show me how to make it?” I ask Bardo, desperate to escape the intense gaze of my boss.

“Of course,” Bardo says. “Come on over and I’ll walk you through it.”

I’m a little bit short to comfortably use the counter space, so Rai fetches a crate for me to stand on. This makes it easier for me to reach everything, but I still have to precariously balance to reach some of the items. Bardo rearranges the counter so it’s easier for me to reach all the ingredients, and I only need to bend over the counter a little when reaching into the top of the fridge. 

“See—we don’t think about things like this,” Bardo says, glancing at Rai. “But you just pull up the crate and you should have everything within reach. Ice cream stays frozen, so keep it here. Whipped cream and yogurt on this side, yeah?” Bardo backs up from me just a little, as though looking at something behind me. 

“What?” I ask. “Is something wrong?” Maybe my apron has come untied, but when I flick my tail, no, it's definitely still tied.

“Er, no. I just, um, noticed your apron. The way it’s tied is quite cute. So customers can watch that little bow when you make these for them. So—here’s all you do.”

He has me slice up a kuim, layer it with ice cream, a crushed macaron, yogurt, and a little whipped cream in a clear cup. Top it with a few extra slices of fruit or a macaron, my choice. That’s it! 

“It’s easy!” I say, excited. “And look how pretty it is!” It looks lovely—white (like Rai’s fur, I think) and the deep reddish purple of the kuim—plus whatever color macaron we have—which is a soft creamy vanilla right now. “This is for you,” I say shyly, handing it to Rai. 

“Why, thank you. Why don’t you try the first bite as a taste test?” He feeds me a bite from his spoon—but he’s my boss, so I can hardly decline. I don’t think anyone has fed me food in a long time, but hell, he _isn’t_ licking my fingers, so I can’t complain. 

“It’s good—as good as Bardo’s,” I say, determined. “You try it, too.”

I watch as he takes a bite—and oh, my _gods_ , watching someone eat can be surprisingly sexy, too. From when he dunks the spoon into the parfait to how he chews—everything he does has an elegance—almost a sensual movement—like a dance. He moves silently, chews quietly—and he really seems to enjoy it. He licks the spoon after each bite, too, and a small smile shows up on his face. 

“Sweet, with just a little bit of sour. Just like you.” There’s that smirking grin again, and I feel slightly mocked, so I look down, but my head is touched gently from behind. “This is adorable, but let me help you with it.”

“Wh-what?” I try to move away, but I can’t. My body stiffens, and my feet are frozen in place, as he leans over the counter, moving his face closer and closer. Is he going to kiss me? Here? In front of Bardo? In the store? What the _hell_?!

“You’ve got some red juice from the kuim on your lip, right here, and a little whipped cream on your nose.” His tongue shoots out and he licks the tip of my nose and the side of my lip. 

 _What the hell?_ Right here? In the middle of the afternoon—when customers might come in? What the _fuck_??

Worse, why don't I try to _move_? I become almost breathless when he touches me, my toes curling down into the floor, into the bottom of my shoes, as if to hold me fast to the earth, to keep me from fainting.

“Much better,” he says, pulling his face away. He has a small smile on his face. It doesn't look so mocking, though, so I am terribly confused. Isn't he just teasing me? I blink my eyes slowly.

“Rai,” Bardo murmurs, a little surprised. “I mean—I don’t blame you—I’m just surprised.”

“What?” he says, sharply, looking at the tiger cat. “You got something to say? He’s thin—malnourished. He obviously needs to eat a little bit more, don’t you think?”

“Well, yeah—but that's not what I'm talking about. I just never thought I’d see you actually feed someone off your own spoon and then groom him like that,” Bardo muses, and I blush again.

“Disappear,” Rai growls, his pupil narrowing to a slit once more.

Weirdly—and wisely—Bardo takes his leave with a showy bow. I’m still terribly embarrassed. I look around for my tea, and before I turn around, I feel my ears stroked lightly again. After eating the ice cream from my parfait, I help out with restocking, which also helps me learn where everything is—until the next time the bell on the door rings. 

“Welcome,” I say to the next customer, returning to my place behind the register. “May I help you?”

“Oh, a new staff member— _another_ kitty cat—and just how cute are _you_? My gods, this store is my favorite convenience store. I stop here every day on my way to work because you guys are just so adorable! And oh, my god—what is _that_ you are eating? It looks positively wonderful! I love sweets! Is it a parfait? Can _I_ have one?” 

“Of course,” I say. “This is our new special, exclusive to the Lamento Convenience Store, the Kuim Parfait. I’m happy to make you one.” There’s no way I’m calling it my special.

Rai is moving from his place at the back of the store even though he isn't finished restocking inventory there. He's approaching the counter, bringing a box with him. He drops it loudly on the floor about six feet away from the customer. I think it looks like he's trying to intimidate the customer, but that's really poor customer service!  
  
“Oh—will you even make it with your own hands? How very wonderful!” This customer is another human. He is also wearing an eyepatch and a fancy business suit, carrying a walking cane with him—and he has short blond hair. I notice Rai remains rather close while I am making the parfait, keeping his eye on that customer, who is watching me as I make the parfait. He is still restocking shelves, but he's making a lot of noise—slamming the products down one after the other. The customer seems to expect this and ignores him, which shocks me, too. What is going on?

“Little kitty, are you now regular staff here?”

“I am—I just started today.”  
  
“What’s your name?”

Rai clears his throat. I look up at him, and he shakes his head, but I don’t understand what he means.

“I’m Konoe.”

“Well, Konoe-kitten, I own a club down in Toshima. If you should ever need anything, feel free to call on me. I am always looking for boys like you to work for me—I pay very well, and I have clients who would very much enjoy the likes of you. Let me know if you’d like to try it out for a day.” He places a rather fancy business card on the counter.

"Um, than-" My thanks are interrupted.

“He doesn’t have the time,” Rai interrupts.

“Oh—but the pay is _very_ good—and he can keep all the tips,” the customer says. “In fact—I might be able to find a place for you as well—if you are willing to play _nicely_.” He smiles warmly at Rai, who bristles his tail and ears in return. I can see his throat convulsing slightly, as though he is suppressing a growl.

“I’m _sure_ I’m not interested.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. You'd both be so popular. Maybe I'd even pay you for a few hours of your time.” The customer looks away, gazing out of the window.

Rai gives up on suppressing his growl but turns around, showing off that pretty bristled tail. He starts slamming products onto the shelves even more roughly. I'm afraid he may break a glass if he keeps that up, so I intervene.

“Dear customer, would you like me to pour you a cup of our Tokino brand coffee as well? I think it would go well with the parfait,” I offer, trying to distract him from this line of conversation.

“That sounds wonderful,” the customer says. “I take mine sweet and caramel colored—just like you.” He reaches out and touches my nose when he says the word "you."

My fur bristles at his words and I flinch and blink at the touch—and he chuckles when he notices this—but I add lots of cream and sugar. Something about this guy gives me the creeps.

“There you go, sir,” I say. I ring him up at the counter.

“Ah—that looks wonderful! You are so perfect, sweetheart! You know what _else_ I would like?”

“What can I help you with, sir?”

“I’d love it if you’d call me ‘master’ the next time I came in. Do you think you could do that?”

“Of course, sir—er, I mean, master,” I say, stumbling over my words. What a fucking weirdo, I think. No wonder Rai doesn't like him. He makes me feel all gross and slimy, just from the words he says.

I quickly take his money and give him his change, and he takes a bite of his parfait.  
  
“Oh—this is just delicious! I will think of you while I am eating it! And do consider trying out a day with me at the club! Thank you so much!” 

“Have a great day, master,” I say. I have to say I’m relieved when he leaves.

“Be careful of that one,” Rai mutters. “You will probably get lots of customers like him.”

“What?” I ask. "What was that about?"

"What was what about?"

"You were growling at a customer, a paying customer!" I exclaim. "You can't do that! Even if they are weird and annoying. Plus I was afraid you were going to break something with you slamming products down like that!"

Rai stares at me. I realize I am lecturing my own boss, but I'm right. He should know better. It's his shop, but he can't keep customers if he growls at them.

“He seemed nice enough and successful, too.”

Rai rolls his eyes at me.

“Just how green are you exactly? He was inviting you to come work as a host—and those host bars in Toshima are no different from brothels.”

“Brothels?” I echo. My face heats up again. What kind of city is this place? Does he mean... like selling sex? I’m a _man_ —didn’t he realize? Wait—he invited Rai, as well—and there’s no way he could have mistaken Rai for a woman. Even if that customer doesn’t know anything about Ribika, I _still_ don’t look very girly, I think. “I don’t think I look like a girl.”

“It’s not _that_ kind of club,” Rai says, looking at me with his arms crossed. “They only serve males. You’d be perfect—but you’d be eaten alive. But at least you could keep your tips.” He smirks again.

The base of my tail stiffens suddenly and all my hair stands on end. He was inviting me to… sell my body? I feel a certain level of disgust flood through me. What kind of place _is_ this?

Rai laughs—and the sound actually shocks me. It makes me look up again—and it’s such a nice sound. So strange, though—I don’t think he smiles very much—in fact, he hasn’t smiled at anyone except for me today, and now, I’ve heard a genuine _laugh_.

“It’s all right. You’re safe here. He can’t do anything to you if you work for me, Konoe. But it might serve you a little better if you didn’t wear your emotions quite so openly, as cute as it is.” 

I don’t understand what he means, so I don't reply. I spend the rest of the night restocking shelves and ringing up customers who come in for various items. 

When my shift ends at 11 pm, Rai tells me to go lie down in the back room and sleep. He says he stays after to clean up each day, mopping the floor till it shines. I’m utterly exhausted by the end of my first day, and I curl up on a fluffy mat—it just appeared there—I know it wasn’t here before—and I drift off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoe's second day at the Lamento Convenience Store - and he wakes up to breakfast.
> 
> While his day starts well, he gets into a power struggle with his boss, and things turn out quite differently than he anticipates.
> 
> Trigger warning: non-con spanking. Well, because what else would you use an office for?

I wake to a nice smell—hot tea and omelet rice, the nice warm smell wafting into my nose, waiting for me next to the futon. Plus there'sa cup filled with a freshly sliced kuim, topped with whipped cream.

I cannot remember the last time someone made me breakfast—but it must have been while Mom was still living. Tears burn the back of my eyes, and a few sneak out of the corners and down my cheeks. I wipe them away impatiently and dig in while the food is still hot.

It’s ready-made convenience store food, but I don’t care. It’s the best meal I’ve had in a long time because I didn’t make it myself. As I’m eating, it occurs to me only one person could have made it: my boss. 

_Why would he do that?_

I think if he were older, it would feel like he was looking after me—but as it is, now I am getting the wrong idea. He couldn’t be _interested_ in me, could he? That can't be right, is it? He’s much too attractive, for one thing.

I mean, he’s _really_ good looking. My body went through some kind of change nearly six months ago—I had to stay indoors for an entire week. At first, I thought it was a bad cold or flu. I was miserable. At the time, I was still in Karou. I was afraid to set foot outside my house, though I felt almost compelled to go outside—like my body was searching for something—and now that I’ve laid eyes on that silver cat, I realize _exactly_ what I was looking for.

Tokino asked me about it, afterward—he called it the mating season—and I brushed it off at first as him teasing me. Is that what my body was trying to do, look for a partner? There were so few females in Karou—and none I knew personally.

I’ve seen a few human females since I have been in Toshima, some quite pretty. They remind me of Ribika, just without tails and with strange ears. And they seem weirdly fascinated by me. I try to stay away from them, though. They make me nervous, and they don’t seem to realize that touching me makes me uncomfortable or, worst case, arouses me. 

I saw a cat cafe in town—and I thought about asking for work there. I’m sure I could get hired. But I peeked in the window, and I don’t think I could tolerate the work without biting or scratching a customer. People just don’t know when to stop their excessive touching. And humans just keep on going! They don’t have tails or fur, I guess.

I mean, yesterday both Rai and Bardo felt free to touch me. Rai even seemed possessive about it, especially when he saw Bardo touching me. It’s like he considers me his employee and therefore his property. But that may just be because they are on bad terms, for whatever reason. However, they are both cats, and so they know how to touch another cat without going overboard. Still, I wouldn’t so far to say their touching me feels _normal_.

Far be it from me to say what _is_ normal. I lived an isolated life in Karou. Maybe in other villages, this kind of touching _is_ normal.

Now I’m finished with breakfast, so I stretch out my body and start grooming. The first thing I notice is that I don’t smell right. I don’t smell like myself. It’s not an _unpleasant_ scent—not at all. In fact, it smells really good—but this is still unnerving. I know I was licked a few times yesterday, but that wouldn’t be enough to leave _this_ much of Rai’s scent on me.

I sniff the futon I slept in last night. It smells a _little_ like him, but not nearly enough to make _me_ smell like him. So—what could it be? What could have happened? Could he have groomed me while I slept? The thought frightens me—and _thrills_ me—in equal measures. I get a little shiver down my spine at the thought and my body freezes up, right when I’m grooming the length of my tail—which _also_ smells like my boss—when I imagine myself completely vulnerable, Rai’s large and perfect body curled up behind me, taking long licks along my tail with his tongue.

What the hell?! Is _that_ normal behavior? I don’t think so—I mean, even back in Karou, when Tokino would spend the night after a long day of traveling, he would _never_ do such a thing... 

But then my mind flashes back to another memory. It had been pouring rain, and both of us were soaked to the skin. It was a spring storm, and the rain was cold. I offered Tokino to stay overnight, giving him my bed. I curled up on the floor. I remember waking up in my bed. He said he had moved me in the night, after I had fallen asleep. I had been shivering, he said, and he was afraid I’d catch a cold. But the rest of that day—even after he had returned to Ransen—I smelled like him whenever I groomed myself.

I wonder if that was normal behavior, and I just didn't know about it, since I’d been alone so long. But how do I behave afterward? Do I acknowledge it? Ignore it? Reciprocate? Gods—I can't imagine! But does he expect me to? 

As I’m grooming myself anxiously, noticing with envy that the fur on my tail seems awfully smooth. It makes sense if Rai has such long fur, he’s probably very good at grooming and his tongue is certainly rougher than mine. I remember that from when he licked my ears yesterday. I’m so distracted and anxious that I don’t notice when the door opens, and Rai pokes his head in. 

“You’re finally awake.”

He speaks softly but it scares me out of my wits nevertheless, and I jump off the futon to my feet, my fur bristled. It almost looks like he caught me doing something untoward, and I blush.

“Oh—sorry—didn’t mean to startle you.” That pale blue eye takes me in curiously, interested. Of course, he would be interested—a Ribika’s eye is naturally drawn toward movement, and I’m the smaller animal here, behaving like prey. I need to get a hold of myself!

“Ah, no—it’s fine. I was just—um, distracted,” I say, embarrassed. “Oh, um, thank you for breakfast.” 

“It’s no big deal. I made something for myself as well,” Rai brushes it off casually. “Sleep okay?”

“I did, thank you.” I find it hard to meet his gaze—probably because I keep thinking about him grooming me while I slept. Part of me wonders what _else_ he did to me, or what he _might_ have been able to do. Did he touch me? Where? Why would he even _want_ to? Does he find me attractive or is he just trying to unnerve me?

“Do you need anything before your shift starts?” His voice is totally normal—friendly almost.

“I’m good, thanks.” I stand up to head out to the register and grab my apron.

“Let me help you.”

“It’s all right. I can do it,” I say, my voice slightly strained. I'm not sure I want him to touch me.

“Let me,” he insists, taking the apron from my hands and looping it over my neck. He pulls the apron strings to get me to turn around, and I feel myself blushing again. Today, he ties a bow right above my tail. “There we go. All set. We could use a fresh pot of coffee.” He gently pats my ass, and I flick my tail as I walk over to the counter.

I lower my ears slightly, wondering if _that_ was normal. Do other cats touch each other so much—like _that_ —on the ass? I put the coffee on after grinding the beans. 

“Would you like a cup?” I ask, trying to be helpful. 

“Sure, when it’s done, thanks. I’ve got some paperwork to finish.” He wanders back to his office, his tail swaying elegantly, leaving the door open. 

Customers start coming in, buying morning energy drinks, soda, canned coffee, hot tea, and some waiting for the freshly brewed coffee. I manage to pour Rai a cup between customers, but I don’t know how he likes it. I take a guess and add a little cream and bring the mug to his office.

He looks up from his desk—and he’s wearing a pair of reading glasses. They look surprisingly cute, actually, and I can’t suppress a little gasp of delight when I see his face. Adorable! 

“Um, I-I d-didn’t know how you t-take your coffee, so I, um, added a little c-cream,” I stammer shyly, unable to take my eyes off his face. He's flustering me again. Glasses! He looks so smart! “C-cream m-makes everything better, doesn’t it?”

“Perfect—thanks so much,” Rai says, giving me a soft smile.

“Of course,” I answer, and I dawdle just a bit, dragging my foot on the carpet. I find I want to stay and watch him do the paperwork. I find this glasses-Rai slightly fascinating—but there are customers in the store I have to attend to.

The creepy guy with the eyepatch comes in again, asking for another Kuim Parfait.

“It’s nice to see you, kitten. I hope your day is going well.” His voice is silky and smooth, and he smiles broadly at me. It's too early to deal with him. I'd much rather ogle my boss.

I realize he’s watching me awfully closely as I’m making the parfait—it makes me think there’s something stuck to my back or something. 

I forget to call him master, and he is immediately offended. What a weirdo!

“Didn’t I ask you to call me _master_ , kitten?”

“Oh—I apologize, sir, er, master,” I reply, now flustered. It’s really awkward. My ears are getting hot.

“It just adds to my experience, after all. It makes my day go so much more smoothly, you see.” When I turn to glance at him, he's staring at my ears. Ugh—they must be blushing!

He is much taller than I expect. At this point, he leans across the counter and grabs my tail while I am preparing his parfait. It makes me bristle and jump, and I give a little yelp.

“Oh, how _cute_! What an innocent little response! I know you’d do _so_ well at my club! Have you given it some thought, dear? You could really make some good money!” 

“Given what any more thought, master?” I flick my tail away from the customer and try to concentrate on the parfait.

“Working for _me_ , of course, kitten! _Work_ for me! Even if you just try it for an evening—you’ll _love_ the attention—my clients will _spoil_ you with lavish food and all the drinks you can handle, a comfortable place to sleep—and pleasure you can’t even imagine—”

“That’s enough,” Rai says, his voice quiet and cool, appearing as though by magic. “I’d ask you to refrain from poaching my staff. Konoe works for _me_ , and his contract is exclusive. He wouldn’t have time to work for you, nor does he have interest.”

“Hou?” Master says, looking down his nose at Rai. “Shouldn’t _he_ be the one to decide that?” 

“He already did—when he started working for me,” Rai growls softly. “His job benefits include protections against predatory behavior and customers. You’re welcome to shop here, but I’ll ask you to refrain from harassing my staff.”

“Or _what_?” The customer has his hands boldly planted on his hips.

“Or I’ll ask you to shop elsewhere,” Rai says plainly.

I’m a little surprised to hear him say this, and I look up at him from my work. I interrupt their conversation before this gets any more heated. 

“Master, the parfait is all finished. Would you like a cup of coffee as well?”

“Please, my dear,” he speaks to me, though the customer is still eyeing Rai carefully, who, it seems, has not even blinked. “You know _just_ how I like it.” Even how he says that phrase is vulgar, I realize, and I hear Rai growl lowly.

He finally takes his parfait and coffee and leaves, though—and Rai is standing off to the side, watching and growling. I’m actually kind of thankful he is here.

“Listen, Konoe,” Rai says sharply. “Make sure you don’t find yourself alone with that guy. If I’m in my office when he comes in, push the button below the register there, and I’ll come out.”

“I can handle myself,” I say. “I’ll be fine. And _you_ shouldn’t be so rude to the customers. It’s not good for business.” 

“That was _not_ a request.” His voice is much lower than it was, and he sounds almost angry. His ears fluff up. “Are _you_ telling _me_ how to run my shop? You don’t know the humans around here. He may have plans to take you with him without your consent. He could drug you, giving you no choice.” 

My ears flatten fearfully when I hear this.

“Are you serious?”

“I would never joke about something like this. I know his type. Just stay out of his way.”

“Okay,” I say. I feel slightly uncomfortable. “Still, that was _awfully_ rude.”

Rai gives me a look—a frightening look—and I’m reminded suddenly of what Tokino told me about Rai’s temper. I regret saying anything at all, but I’m saved by the sound of a loud motorcycle pulling up—right on the sidewalk. It drips motor oil right in front of the front door. I really hope Rai doesn’t notice, or he may truly flip his lid.

It's that weird man in black, coming in again for water, and he buys the same kind he bought yesterday. I wonder if he is enjoying its cleansing benefits. Today, when he pays at the register, I notice him having some kind of staring contest with Rai.

So it’s no _wonder_ Rai needs help with customer service! I feel slightly exasperated and hot under my collar. 

When he leaves, I look up at my boss and say, “You know, that kind of staring is considered _rude_ to humans.”

“I don’t think so,” Rai says calmly. “That guy—he’s killed a lot of people. I can _smell_ it on him. He’s a predator. With his type, you have to maintain eye contact or else you may become his prey.”

My fur bristles when he says that, because I felt the same thing when I saw his red eyes yesterday—but I dropped my gaze so as not to agitate him. But then I wonder how the _hell_ Rai would know something like that.

“Still, it’s _rude_ ,” I insist. “It’s no _wonder_ you need me around here,” I mutter under my breath—but he hears me.

“I do—need someone like you,” he murmurs, looking at me. “I just didn’t expect you to have quite so vocal of an opinion as to my _own_ behavior. It’s disrespectful.”

“What?” I’m confused. Does he want my help or not? “Have you owned this store for a long time?” I ask.

“No, not long.”

“What sort of work did you do before?”

“I was a bounty hunter,” he says—so casually as though he might be suggesting he owned an inn or a restaurant. But that blue eye glints and sparkles, and that white tail fluffs up and arcs behind him almost mischievously.

Shit! A _bounty hunter_? My skin crawls just a little. I can believe it, especially now that I see that happy glint in his eye. It frightens me but thrills me too. What the _hell_ is my problem? I need to get it together.

Still—from a bounty hunter to owning a convenience store? How the hell did that happen?

The door chime rings again, and I look up, cheerfully saying, “Welcome!”

It’s two young men—one wearing blue overalls and a white tee-shirt—he’s tall with brown hair and brown eyes, and the other is rather good-looking, almost platinum hair with aqua-colored eyes. His face is simply gorgeous—like he could be a model. He’s wearing an orange tee under a dark jacket trimmed with white faux fur around the hood and slim-fit grey jeans.

“May I help you?” I ask.

“Yeah,” the brown-haired man says. “The other day, I tried one of your green curry buns. It was the best thing I’ve ever had. You don’t have any of those left, do you?”

“Oh—yes, we do! Right over here,” I skip out from behind the counter and point them out. “It’s an exclusive flavor, actually. I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s the perfect blend of sweet and spicy,” the man says, grabbing one from the display. He gives me a closer look. “I haven’t seen you here before. Are you new?”

“Oh, yes. I just started yesterday. I’m Konoe,” I smile, returning to the register.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Keisuke. I’m sure you’ll see me in here again. This quiet guy is Akira,” the brown-haired guy motions to his friend.

“Nice to meet you both,” I say, bowing my head. “Can I offer you anything else? We have lots of other flavors, too. There’s an interesting omurice flavor bun, too. It’s my personal favorite.” When I say that, I see a pair of small white ears perk up from the next aisle over. Is he eavesdropping on me? 

“Omurice?” Akira says. “I might try that.” His voice is soft and gentle.

“Look toward the bottom on the left,” I say. Akira brings one to the register.

“It’s my treat,” Keisuke says.

“You don’t have to,” Akira starts to argue.

“I always drag you here, and you always come along, so yes, I do. Just let me.” 

I ring them up, smiling. They must be good friends, I think. “Thank you so much!”

“I’m sure we’ll be back tomorrow! Thanks!”

“He’s much less intimidating than the giant white cat, isn’t he?” I hear Keisuke whisper on his way out.

“Maybe you can come in without me now?” Akira asks.

“Well, he may not work _every_ shift!” The door closes behind them.

I laugh a little, but when I look up, Rai is standing right in front of the counter. He’s just appeared there, soundlessly, his expression unreadable.

“Something funny?”

“What? Oh—no—not at all.” My ears flatten. But it _is_ funny. And I can’t help myself. I turn around to check the level of the coffee pot, and I brew another pot. “It’s just—you _can’t_ be intimidating the customers or you won’t be able to make a living!”

“Are you telling me how to run my business on your second day working for me?” He sounds slightly amazed.

His voice is a lot closer than I expect—and it’s spoken awfully close to my ear. He _was_  on the other side of the counter, and now, he’s behind the register with me—less than a few inches from me. I didn’t even hear him move! Gods, how can a cat this size move so fast and so quietly?!

“N-no—I didn’t mean—”

“Because it sounds like you have quite an opinion.”

Rai seems to think he can intimidate me into shutting up, too. Just because he’s a little bigger than me. I set my jaw firmly.

“What _is_ it with you? Are you trying to intimidate _me_ , too?” I stand up straight and I do not back down. This puts me flush against Rai’s chest, and I have to tilt up my face to meet his eye. I _do_ feel intimidated, truthfully, but I try not to show it. 

“Do you _feel_ intimidated?” Rai’s voice is calm and cool.

“N-no.” It’s an obvious lie, and my quavering voice and slightly shaking tail give me away.

“Don’t you think it’s _your_ job, as my _employee_ , to _submit_ your rather strong will to mine?” Rai asks, cool and collected.

“Not if you’re obviously _wrong_ ,” I say boldly. 

“ _What_ did you say?” Rai sounds absolutely astounded. 

“Since this morning, you’ve been doing nothing but intimidating customers!” I exclaim. “That’s no way to run a successful business! The last two guys who came in are _afraid_ to come in alone because of you! Didn’t you _hear_ them?”

“Oh, really? And how is that  _your_ concern?” Rai says, his voice lowering slightly. My ear twitches slightly when the sound of a truck pulls up. “Oh, perfect timing.” 

“Of course it is! If you frighten customers, you won’t get sales. If you don’t get sales, I won’t get paid! That is _definitely_ my concern!”

“Don’t move. We are _not_ finished with this discussion.” Rai stalks to the back of the store and I hear him growling at Bardo. I think I hear him say, “Watch the front for a moment. We are having a discipline issue.”

Wait just a minute. _Discipline_ issue? What the hell is he talking about? 

“You, come with me.”

Rai grabs my arm, pulling me back toward the back of the store.

“What are you doing? Hey! Let _go_ of me!” I start to struggle.

“You know, I can do this right here, in the middle of the store if you’d rather. It would probably be _great_ for business. I don’t care either way. I’m sure Bardo would _love_ to see a little performance. I just thought you’d prefer the privacy.”

“Performance? Privacy? What are you going on about?” I growl right back. I hear Bardo clicking his tongue softly.

“Do you want to do this _here_? Or in my _office_?” Rai growls, and _his_ growl sends shivers down my spine. He is _scaring_ me, making the fur on my tail and the hair on my nape stand up. I have no idea what is going through his head, but I’m fairly certain that with the look Bardo is giving me, perhaps I would prefer to do this in private.

“Your office,” I say quietly. Did I really overstep my bounds? Shit. 

“Finally, that submissive tone of yours has returned!” Rai snaps, the cool icy tone heating up slightly. He pulls my arm harshly, forcing me toward the back of the store. I _was_ walking—and would _continue_ walking—if he’d only give me a chance! The rough treatment hurts my feelings, and tears spring to my eyes. What’s going on?

He opens the door and walks in, releasing my arm the moment we are in his office, leaning up against his desk, crossing his arms in front of his chest. 

I stare down at the floor, looking at the black and blue diamond pattern in the carpet. I still have no idea what the fuck is going on. 

“Close the door behind you,” he orders. I obey silently without looking up. I notice my breath has gotten much faster than it was, but I keep my head down.

“Why don’t you get more comfortable? Get on your knees.”

On my knees? Oh, shit. I obey, and my breath hitches in a small sob. I think I see his ears twitch. 

The moment I am kneeling, I feel his hands in my hair, stroking my ears surprisingly gently. It’s such a strange juxtaposition from how roughly he was just dragging me across the store and pinching my arm, and it’s confusing. The touch feels oddly good, and my body starts to feel a little warm.

But my heart is still racing—I hear it thrumming in my ears, and I am having a hard time catching my breath. Tears threaten the corners of my eyes, about to drip down my cheeks. I feel like I should apologize, but I don’t know what for. Is he going to fire me?

“Konoe, do you _want_ this job?” There it is! I feel cool fingers against my chin, urging me to look up at his face. I comply immediately. He looks very serious, not a trace of a smile on his face.

Tears finally overflow from my eyes, and I nod, weeping silently.

“Please. I have nowhere else to go.”

“If you want to work for me, you have to understand that _I_ own this store and what _I_ say, goes.” 

“Yes, sir,” I mumble softly.

“You have been disrespectful today, and you have talked back to me on several occasions. Understand, it _isn’t_ that I don’t appreciate your opinions. I do. I desire them and appreciate them very much. I _want_ you to think independently. I’d just prefer you’d do it with _respect_.”

“I’m sorry, sir. It will not happen again.” My body is trembling.

“Oh, I’m _sure_ it won’t, kitten. But this issue at hand is how you will learn from _this_ mistake,” Rai says. His voice, while frightening, is like honey dripping into my ears, and I don’t know how to handle these mixed feelings of desire and near terror!

“I’ve already learned!” I exclaim, bowing before him, my head down low. “I will never defy you again, and—”

“Kitten, those are mere words. I need you to _show_ me. If you want to keep this job, that is.” He sounds so matter of fact.

“Please!” I beg. “I _need_ this job! I have nowhere else to go—” 

“What about the regular who asked you to call him master? You could work for him and sell your body for sex,” Rai suggests coolly. It sounds terrible. It's humiliating to hear these words from Rai's gorgeous lips, too. “You’d probably only be chained up for half your life, but at least you could keep the tips.”

“Please—Rai—I’m sorry. _Please_ —forgive me! What would you have me do?” Another small sob leaks out with that last sentence, and I stare down at my hands in my lap. I can't get my fingers to stay still.

“I want you to take responsibility for speaking disrespectfully and be willing to accept your punishment,” the silver cat says firmly.

“I will do whatever it takes to stay here,” I whisper. “Just give me another chance. I’ll do _anything_!”

“Look at how earnest you are,” Rai squats down, bringing himself to my level. “You’re crying actual tears.”

“ _Please_ —don’t send me back to Karou! I will be _killed_ ,” I whisper.

His thumbs tenderly wipe away my tears.

“First, I want to know why you can’t go home. Then, I will share my terms with you. My terms are not negotiable.”

“Thank you, sir!”

"And stop with this 'sir' business,” Rai snaps.

“Ah—I’m sorry.” How else am I supposed to show respect?

“Begin.”

In a quavering voice, I tell Rai the story of my hometown—how my mother died when I was five and I’d never met my father. I’d never loved Karou, nor had Karou ever loved me, but it was all I’d ever known. The villagers were eager to be rid of me—and the elder recently became involved with a border dispute between my neighbor, a grey cat named Sin, and me. I didn’t care much about it—as far as I was concerned, Sin could _have_ the small piece of territory in dispute. However, Sin felt I was being pretentious about it and involved the elder.

It grew into a huge issue—and now, my entire land was up for grabs. Why had _I_ been granted land in the first place when I had no family? Was I really a true heir to Karou? Perhaps the land wasn't truly mine! Neighbors on all sides wanted a piece—and in the middle of all of this fighting, I grew very ill. I had a very bad fever and flu, and the cats around me thought I was stricken because I was cursed and trying to steal land from the righteous. I was chased from my home, from my village—without any of my belongings, while still ill and vomiting. They threatened to kill me if I returned—for surely I was a cursed cat and would bring sickness to them all.

Fortunately, Tokino discovered me, lying in the woods, shaking and shivering with fever, dehydrated from vomiting, and he brought me to his home in Ransen for a few days to recover, but his father said I couldn’t stay. They simply didn’t have room or resources. He suggested I go with Tokino to Toshima, which is where I’ve been ever since. I lived on the streets for a while, and then I found this job, also thanks to my good friend’s referral.

The only thing I have left from my home is a poem written by my father, a silver ring, and a small pouch of stones—which is now mostly empty. I traded them for money—the stuff humans use for bartering. I couldn’t even bring my sword with me, so I had no way to defend myself.

I’m weeping by the end of my tale, and I can’t look up at my boss.

“You see, I can’t go home—my home has been taken from me,” I sob. “I have nothing left. I really _need_ this job. I appreciate the place to stay, a safe place to sleep—which I haven’t had in two weeks. This shop even has running water,” I say softly. “I was able to wash properly, too.”

“You didn’t look homeless when you came in yesterday,” Rai comments. 

“I’ve met a few friendly humans,” I say, “who’ve invited me inside, fascinated by my appearance. They’ve fed me, let me bathe and wash my clothes. Some have even given me new clothes. But...” I lower my face.

“They wanted something in return, didn’t they?”

“Yes,” I say, ashamed. “I didn’t realize that was how their culture worked. I fell prey to it several times—with both females and males, but I managed to escape before anything serious happened.” 

“Stupid cat!” Rai barks and his sharp tone makes my ears flatten and my tail droops in mortification.

“I know that,” I murmur softly, “now, anyway. But I had _nothing_! There was no one else!”

“Why didn’t you seek out your own kind? Why not come here first?” He tips up my face to meet his gaze.

“I have experienced very little compassion from my own kind. Only from Tokino,” I whisper. “And now, you. You fed me breakfast this morning and are giving me a place to stay.”

“No, I’m not,” Rai says. “You will be _earning_ it. _If_ you follow my rules. If you don’t, you cannot stay here.”

Fresh tears spill from my eyes.

“How can I fix this? _Please_. Tell me what to do! I didn’t mean to offend!”

“It’s not that you’ve _offended_ me, little one,” Rai says. I hear something a little different in his voice now. That cool tone has heated up with something that sounds strangely tender. “I just want to hear respect when you address me.”

“Yes, um, I’m sorry, I understand. I can do that,” I say, desperate and eager to please. “It’s your shop after all.”

I lower my gaze or try to, but he lifts my chin toward his face again.

“It certainly _is_ my shop. I’d like you to take _responsibility_ for your actions.”

“R-responsibility?” I stammer. “I-I’m not quite sure I understand...” I’m getting very nervous—this cat is incredibly intimidating and confusing. Just what does he _want_ from me?

“What do you think happens to kittens who are disrespectful to their masters?” Rai asks.

“I-I d-don’t know, sir,” I say, my voice quiet.

“Don’t you think they ought to be punished?” Rai’s voice slides into my ears—softly like he’s whispering some secret meant just for me, with great anticipation. And for me, it has the effect of ruffling my fur and making me shiver... until the meaning of his words actually hit me. 

“P-punished?” I whisper, terrified. “N-no! P-please...”

“This is _only_ , of course, if you’d like to _keep_ your job, Konoe. I won’t lay a finger on you if you don’t _want_ me to. However, I cannot have disrespectful, disobedient kittens working for me. But I will forgive your infraction if you submit willingly to the punishment I see fit.” His voice is back to its former cooler tone now, almost challenging.

“I... will submit to any punishment you deem appropriate.” My voice is so soft it almost cannot be heard, but my ears are stroked softly. I have nowhere else to go, and he knows this. I don’t really have a choice. “Please, _forgive_ me.” My heart flutters in my throat.

“Your punishment will be given in two parts,” Rai says, while I stare at the carpet. The diamond pattern in the carpet blurs with tears, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why his voice sounds so nice. Tokino warned me not to piss him off, and I’ve gone and done it—big time. My hands are resting in my lap—I’d say they were resting quietly, but they are trembling uncontrollably. “First, I want to provide you with immediate physical feedback—which I will repeat if necessary, should this disrespectful behavior occur a second time. Second, when your shift is over at the end of the evening, you will be coming home with me.”

“What?” I cannot keep the shock out of my voice. “With you? _Why_?” A bolt of fear—or else desire—I really cannot tell which—shoots through my chest and pools in my hips heavily. Thank gods I’m kneeling right now, or he might be able to tell.

“Several reasons, but primarily so you can make it up to me,” Rai says simply. 

“Make it up _how_?” I press, remembering the close calls I got myself in not all that long ago with humans who claimed they would help me and instead tried to take advantage.

“Perhaps you should worry more about the _here_ and _now_ , Konoe,” the silver cat suggests helpfully, pulling me to my feet. He sits comfortably on his desk for a moment and peers into my face. “I want you to be fully aware of why we are doing this. You understand _why_ I am punishing you, don’t you?”

“So I don’t have to return to Karou?” I ask.

To my surprise, I feel a sharp slap on my ass— _really_ hard, actually—and loud—and it makes my tail bristle and my ears flick backward toward the sound. It takes me completely by surprise and forces a small yelp from my mouth. While there is sharp, stinging pain, right after the pain, I feel a sense of heat pooling in my hips that isn’t altogether unpleasant, and my mouth starts to water. My eyes widen, my pupils dilate, and I gaze up at that pale blue eye.

“Let’s try this again,” Rai says softly. “I can do this as long as it takes for you to understand. While technically, this _will_ prevent you from having to return to Karou, that is _not_ why you are being punished.”

Is he going to _spank_ me? Seriously? My gods—I'm not sure this is a very good idea. I try to pull away.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I protest.

“Oh, don’t you?” Rai’s sexy voice murmurs. “As I said, this lies entirely in _your_ hands, Konoe. _You_ have the power here. If you’d rather _not_ submit, I understand. But I _cannot_ work with you if that’s the case.”

He tilts his head slightly, that long silver hair falling gracefully over his shoulder, and he gives me a soft, understanding smile. He knows I will _have_ to submit to this... utter humiliation!

“I am sorry,” I lower my face. “I was just... um, surprised.”

“And you will answer my question now?”

Question? Did he ask a question? I look slightly confused, and he touches my chin softly.

“Um, because I was disrespectful?” I ask.

“There’s a good kitten,” Rai answers, pleased—and his praise ruffles through my body just like a caress. Why does his voice _do_ that to me? “Now, unfortunately for you, respect is a _big_ deal to me, which is why we are here now. I want you to learn that treating me with respect is important.”

“Okay,” I say, shifting from one foot to the other.

“Climb on up, then.”

“Um, on the table?” I ask. I know exactly what he means, and the blush in my ears shows it. But I'm pretending like I don't.

“On my lap,” Rai says. “I won’t ask again. Either you  _submit_  to the punishment or you _don’t_ , Konoe.” 

Whimpering helplessly, I climb up over his lap, face down, humiliated. I can’t believe I’m _doing_ this! Is this _normal_? My heart is racing so fast in my ears I feel like I might have a heart attack, and my breathing is so hard I have to deliberately slow it down and relax. I shiver slightly, my ears twitch, my tail agitated. 

“Relax your body. I don’t want to see any hands back here.”

“Yes, sir,” And shit! I said sir again. Tears are already falling—and he’s not even started. But his hands brush over my ass gently. 

“This is an important lesson. I will be giving you 15 strokes over your clothes and 15 on the bare. You don’t need to count. Do not struggle or try to cover yourself. You are to _submit_. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, s-, er, Rai.”

“Good kitten. All right. And listen—I don’t _want_ to hurt you, little one. I just require your respect and obedience.”

“W-wait!” I exclaim, just as his hand leaves my ass.

“What is it?” His left hand is resting on my lower back, holding the base of my tail, almost massaging it, and his right comes to rest on my ass again, caressing me lightly. It makes me arch my back—like I enjoy his touch. And perhaps... perhaps I do. 

“Perhaps—if you d-don’t w-want to h-hurt m-me, I c-could c-clean y-your ap-partment, or c-cook f-for y-you, or s-something...? P-please... y-you d-don’t have t-to d-do this...”

“Oh, but I do, or you won’t learn,” Rai murmurs, leaning in close to my ear. He nips the edge of my ear with his fangs, and that sends a shiver through my body. “I’m afraid I do.”

My lower back is pressed against his lap, and his right hand leaves my ass—and smack! Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!

A volley of spanks scatter down my right cheek, across my sit spot and up my left cheek, and then return to that sensitive sit spot again—leaving me yelping after each blow. I hardly have even a moment to recover—and my ass heats up as hot as my ears. I struggle not to kick my feet and to keep my hands pressed against the side of the desk.

It takes less than a minute, however, and then the blows stop as suddenly as they started. And then, he says, “Now stand up, and lower your jeans and underwear, please.”

Even more ashamed than I was before—and the heat that has built up in my hips has left me strangely aroused—what the _hell_ is wrong with me? I just hope he won’t notice! I just can’t expose myself!

“Please!” I blurt. “Please—Rai— _Please_?”

“Konoe—haven’t you agreed to submit? There is no half-way. You should choose to obey. You're already half-way through. You can do this.” He gives me a soft, encouraging smile.

A small meowing whine escapes my lips and I half-heartedly yank down my jeans and underwear just a tiny bit and crawl back over Rai’s lap.

“Ah, this won’t do. You need to actually _expose_ your skin, little one. Try again.”

Absolutely miserable, I get back to my feet and pull my pants and underwear down to my knees. Then, I crawl back up onto Rai’s lap, a loud humiliated sob escaping my mouth. I press my lips together to prevent anything else from coming out, and tears leak out of my eyes again. I feel my ears burning. The air feels so cold against my hot skin.

“Much better,” Rai says, his hand caresses me softly—and it sends an obvious pleasurable shiver through my body— _why_? Why do I enjoy his touch? I feel the other hand pressing against my lower back so I can’t escape.

However—when the first two spanks land on my bare skin—slap, slap—such embarrassing sounds—and I even feel my ass jiggling—it _really_ burns! I actually do more than yelp in pain. Those are actual _cries_ escaping my lips. I try to dig my claws into the side of his desk, but I can’t find any grip. As the next few blows rain down—he catches the soft, unprotected skin of my thighs, and my hands fly up to protect myself, and I scream.

“ _Please_!”

“Remember what I said? You are to submit,” Rai murmurs. He easily catches my hands and firmly pins them against my lower back, right at the base of my tail. It makes me arch even more, and I stick out my ass even further, giving him even better access to my sit spot, which is then liberally covered with spanks.

I’m crying real tears when he’s finished—both when the blows hit my flesh and between, sobbing loudly in both pain and humiliation. However, I don’t struggle anymore—only lie submissively on his lap, waiting for the punishment to be finished. I want so much to rub out the pain—and I feel his hand give me a soft caress before he allows me to stand. Even _that_ feels dangerously close to pleasure. Is it just because it's so tender in comparison? Or because blood has pooled so heavily there? Or is this something else?

“Stand and face the wall,” he says firmly. “Keep your arms folded behind your head.”

A pitiful meow leaks from my mouth when I slide off his lap, and I obey. I’m still weeping—I realize—as I stand and face the wall, my chest rising and falling irregularly, and I want to wipe my tears. I can’t see what Rai is doing, but he is sitting down at his desk and doing something—paperwork, perhaps?

I stand like this for about five minutes, until my tears are finished. Then Rai stands up and walks over to me. I feel a soft caress on my ass, and I flinch—but why the _hell_ does it feel so nice? His hand feels cool and soothing, gentle and tender, and something pulls in my chest. I feel... guilt. I actually feel _guilty_.

“You’re nice and pink,” Rai murmurs. “Listen. I will repeat this lesson as often as necessary until you learn its importance—if you speak to me disrespectfully again. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir, um, Rai,” I stammer, miserably. I’m so embarrassed. I’m _truly_ afraid of what he might have planned for this evening.

“I’d like to keep you here longer, to think about respect, but unfortunately, we have new inventory to stock. For now, I want you to know you handled your punishment very well. Also, I am _glad_ to have you here. I think you will add a lot as to this shop. But you may _not_ disrespect me while you are here. Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes,” I say, fresh tears brimming in my eyes. My heart lurches again in my chest. I'm laced with... guilt! Why? 

“And you don’t need to feel bad anymore. I am satisfied.” My ears are brushed lightly and then the tips of each one are kissed in turn. 

“I’m so sorry, Rai!” I burst out suddenly. I can't help the words that spill from my mouth. It's more than not wanting to lose a place to stay. It's that I don't want to displease this elegant silver cat! But the worlds just pour out of my mouth in a stream. “Please! I didn’t mean anything by it! I'm new to this world, new to working with other cats, and it's no excuse, but _please_ , I'm so sorry! Please, please— _forgive_ me!” I turn around from the wall and throw myself into the larger cat’s arms, inhaling his scent, pressing against his chest, enjoying his strength, completely forgetting my pants are pulled down around my knees. I only want the larger cat to _hold_ me—I feel a desperate need to have him take me in his arms. 

“Little one, hush, you’re already forgiven,” he murmurs, kissing the tips of my ears again, gathering me up gently. “Shh. It’s okay. Stop these tears. Let’s get you dressed.”

He pulls up my underwear and jeans—there’s no _way_ he doesn’t notice my current state when he does—and he grins just a bit against my ear—I can feel his teeth. He takes a handkerchief, wiping my tears first, and then letting me blow my nose.

“Let me fix your apron. Come here,” he turns me around and reties the bow. “Perfect.” He tips my face up and combs his long claws through my hair for a moment. “‘Do you need a few minutes to collect yourself? Or are you all right?”

It’s been a while since I’ve cried like that—and strangely I feel much better.

“I’m all right.”

“Okay, then best get back to work,” Rai says, lowering his lips to my nose and kissing me lightly. I blink in surprise. What was _that_?

I hurry back outside, where Bardo has been watching the register. He looks at me sideways for a moment.

“Kitten, you’re practically glowing! What the hell was he doing to you back there? It sounded... interesting.”

"Oh, um, nothing." I blush furiously, getting to work restocking the inventory, avoiding his curious looks.

Then it hits me—that was only part _one_ of a two-part punishment. I’ve agreed to go home with Rai this evening—and I’m _truly_ afraid. What _exactly_ have I agreed to?

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoe’s long shift comes to a close—and he only pisses off his boss once during the rest of the day. Then, Rai tells Konoe he will be coming home with him—which starts his anxiety anew.

I spend the rest of the day restocking shelves and helping customers—and terribly worried about what will happen this evening. Maybe Rai will forget—he seems sort of distracted, actually, and wanders into his office—when three more customers come in.

“Oh, my gods—a _cat_! Look! He’s actually a little _cat_!” It’s a female human blonde screeching in delight, and she’s here with two friends. She is dressed in different shades of pink—a really short skirt that shows off her legs, tight shirt, and high heeled boots. Her jacket is trimmed with white faux fur.

I see her in the aisle when I am walking back from restocking the shelves of snacks.

“Good evening,” I say, trying to be polite. “May I help you find anything?”

“You are the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life! Can I just take you home?”

“Um,” I say. “I’m sorry, but we don’t sell our kind here, and I am working a 12-hour shift today.” I have a smile plastered on my face, but I’m nervous as hell. She’s standing much too close—all up in my space and stuff, and she’s blocking my way to the register.

“I’ve read about your kind making an appearance here and have seen pictures on the internet, but I’ve never believed it—till now. Are those ears real?” Before I can move or duck, her hands have reached out and grabbed me, and she is petting my ears—again and again—running her long fingernails over them, pulling my fur. I’m flattening my ears against my head, trying to escape her touch, but she isn’t getting the hint. “And your tail! It’s so cute!”

Oh, gods—she’s grabbed my tail with one of her hands. Petting my tail is almost too much—she is stroking it from the base to the tip, hard—and it’s frankly kind of arousing. The touch is overwhelming and it’s making it a little hard for me to breathe. She also keeps pinching the brown fur on the tip—which is really sensitive—and it’s sending little shivers into my spine.

I don’t want to be rude, but this is really inappropriate!

“Um—please,” I start, trying to escape her grasp. “Please—this is uncomfortable—let go—um, please!”

“You’re so soft,” she says, and I hear the door to Rai’s office close rather loudly. It makes my ears twitch. “Oh my god, you can move them, too?”

“Of course, can’t you?” I ask, a little surprised. I don’t know much about humans, I guess.

“Not really,” she says. “It’s like a party trick to be able to wiggle your ears.”

“Um—okay,” I try to escape and wiggle out of her grasp, but she is still holding onto my ears and tail and refuses to let go. Man, those nails are sharp! I didn’t think humans had claws, but those nails definitely count!

“So do you work here all the time? If I come here, will I _always_ be able to see you?” her voice has dropped in volume and pitch—frighteningly so. It sounds weirdly suggestive.

Suddenly, Rai appears right next to me, and he grabs the girl’s wrists.

“Look, I know he’s soft, but you really should ask before you touch someone—at least when you’re going to be that aggressive,” Rai says. “We prefer a much softer touch, like this.” Rai demonstrates—stroking my ears at the base gently and then running his claws through the fur on my tail—and his touch sends a soft shiver up into my neck.

How am I supposed to react when he touches me like that publicly?

“Oh my god, you’re so big—and fluffy!” She sounds blown away, her mouth hanging open, just gaping at Rai. She also seems terribly interested in him touching me. “Oh—did I touch one of your _things_? Is _that_ what this is about?”

I hear a low growl.

“Uwah—scary! You’re much more terrifying than that little cute one, but I like you, too! I bet the three of us could have some fun!”

I’m relieved that her hands aren’t petting me anymore, though, and I sneak away, behind the register.

“Is it okay if I pet your fur?” That girl is really something, I think. “You look so soft! I bet you’re really warm at night, aren’t you?”

“I’d prefer not,” Rai growls.

“Oh, all right then,” she says, slightly offended. She considers touching him anyway and wisely rethinks her decision. She chooses an energy drink and comes to the register, whispering with her friends a little.

I ring her up, and she smiles at me. When I give her the total, she hands me a card along with her money.

“Call me anytime. I think we could really have some fun,” she smiles again. “And bring your big white friend, too, if he wants to come. I think you’re really cute—I could pet your fur all day!”

That’s exactly what I’m afraid of. I’m a little horrified by the idea, and I’m relieved when she leaves.

“What a piece of work,” Rai mumbles. “Are you all right?” He looks at me carefully—there’s kind of a strange look in his eye, almost like he’s checking to see if I was interested in her.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” I’m surprised he’s asking, since that spanking was way more intrusive than anything she has done, frankly. And why is he looking at me like that?

“She gave you her number,” Rai states.

“Yes, and?”

“Are you saving it?”

Why would he care if I did? If I lose this job I’ll need someplace to go, won’t I? Maybe I _should_ keep it.

“I should—in case I lose this job,” I state firmly, and my wording comes out a lot snarkier than I originally intend. I’m a little shocked at what has come out of my mouth, in fact, and I am terribly embarrassed. I glance up at Rai, and he is definitely not smiling.

“Haven’t you learned anything today?” he asks, sighing softly. He doesn’t exactly sound angry, but I don’t know how else to describe his tone.

“Oh, I have,” I say immediately, looking down. “That just came out wrong. I don’t like being handled like that. It’s overwhelming.”

“Do you prefer being handled by her or by me?”

Is that a serious question? I don’t want to “be handled” by anyone—but honestly, Rai’s touch felt much nicer than hers.

“I could probably overwhelm you, too. If you wanted,” he continues. He rests his chin on the end of the mop. My gods, it’s no wonder the floors are so clean—that guy is obsessive when it comes to the floors.

He discovered the motor oil drippings outside the front door just a little while ago, showing excessive irritation.

“It was the killer on the motorbike, wasn’t it? He parked his bike there on purpose, and now customers have tracked this oil all over my floors,” he grumbled while cleaning it up. To me, it looks a little like he is trying to finish the cleaning before my shift ends, and that is a little discouraging.

As soon as 11 PM comes around, he heads to the front of the store, locks the door, and switches off most of the lights.

“I just need to give the cash drawer a quick count. Wait for me here, or in your room, if you like.”

I lower my face—depressed he hasn’t forgotten. What is this about, exactly? I did try hard the rest of the day—I only snapped at him once—right after that touchy-feely girl was in the shop. He takes less than a minute to count the cash, and then comes back out.

“You do very well with the register. You haven’t been under or over even by more than a nickel. That’s as accurate as I am. At least, that’s been your performance for the past two days, anyway.”

Is that a compliment? 

“Thank you,” I say quietly. “I try my best.”

“If only we could adjust this attitude of yours, you’d be perfect,” Rai continues.

Adjust _what_ attitude? I look up at him in surprise. I don’t have an attitude!

“What attitude?” I ask, now slightly annoyed. I mean, the second part of his punishment is coming regardless of what I say or do. I might as well be honest—it can’t possibly get worse from here, can it? “I don’t _have_ an attitude.”

“But you do,” Rai says. “Come along. Let’s go.”

He pulls me along after him as he leaves the shop through the back door. Then he sets the alarm and locks the door behind us.

“My place isn’t far from here,” Rai says, taking my arm. But he doesn’t slow his stride, and I have to hop and skip to keep up with him.

“You’re walking too fast,” I complain.

“It’s cold outside, and it seems you’re rather vulnerable to the cold,” Rai points out. He doesn’t slow his gait.

But sure enough, he does live close. It’s only about a block away in a new and expensive high-rise apartment building. Can that store really make that good of money, I wonder?

He pulls me into the elevator—and he doesn’t live on the top floor, but close—on floor 14 out of 15 floors. The elevator ride is long, and there’s a mirror on the back of the elevator, so I watch Rai’s expression. I wonder if he planned to bring me home with him since this morning, or if this is a spur of the moment sort of thing. He glances up at me, catching me watching his reflection, a curious look on his face. I look down immediately ashamed I was caught.

When the door opens, we walk down the hall to the apartment at the end of the hall on the left. Rai unlocks the door and motions for me to enter. I do—and before he switches on the lights, I see the back wall of the apartment is all glass. The curtains are open and the windows face downtown. He has a gorgeous view. It’s a large one bedroom apartment—the way humans stack their living spaces on top of one another baffles me, but I have to confess it’s efficient.

I run up to the window and press my nose against it. It feels cold, so I pull away slightly. The city lights sparkle from up so high—and it’s beautiful, peaceful, and quiet.

“Is this a corner unit?” I ask.

“It is,” Rai says, taking off his jacket and putting it on the sofa. He’s turned on some lights—but they are dim so we can still enjoy the view.

“You have a great view,” I say.

“It’s why I took the place,” Rai says, walking up behind me and looking out. “The city looks so different from here—clean, almost—certainly modern—and these humans, they never sleep.”  
  
“No,” I agree. Perhaps the wall in his bedroom is also glass like this. I wonder if he admires the view when he sleeps. My boss sleeping in bed—the thought—is a bit of a turn on for me, I have to admit.

“Let’s eat,” Rai suggests. He wanders into the kitchen and starts pulling stuff out from the fridge. It’s a modern kitchen—lots of tools I don’t know how to use.

“D-do you want me to cook?” I ask. As part of my punishment, I think, but don’t add. What does he plan to do to me here?

“Nah, I will tonight,” Rai says. “Here, catch.”

He throws me something in a can. It’s a beer, I think. I’ve never tried beer before. I look at him questioningly, and he’s popped the top of his and is drinking it while he cooks. I suppose I should be polite and at least try it…

Three cans later, the meal is ready, and I try to stand up from where I am messily sprawled on the couch, just to walk to the table, and I nearly lose my balance.

“Not much of a drinker, are you?” Rai asks, helping me to my seat. “Maybe you should stick with water from now on.”

“No, I’ll have another beer,” I say. “I’m fine, I just tripped.” I smile. I am _much_ more relaxed than I was when we first came in. And the dinner smells great. It’s chicken—of some sort—served with vegetables and rice, and a fresh salad.

“I had these ingredients in my fridge that were about to go bad,” Rai explains. “Thanks for joining me.”

“Thanks for having me,” I say—and then realize I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. It was this or lose my job, wasn’t it? I look up at Rai and he is watching me eat. It’s making me nervous. What exactly am I doing here?

I take a sip from the glass in front of me, and it’s water. I’m slightly disappointed. I think I _would_ like another beer. He’s on at least his third can, I bet.

“So… how is it?” Rai asks. He still isn’t eating. Did he put something in the food? Is that why he isn’t eating? I’ve heard of humans doing this—one drugging the other so he can take advantage—but I’d never suspect a fellow Ribika to do something like that. Plus, with our difference in stature, I doubt drugs would be needed. I need my job—and he’s awfully good looking.

“It’s delicious, thank you,” I say. “I really didn’t expect you to be such a good cook.”  
  
“The old man—the delivery guy—taught me what I know years ago. He said it was an important skill to have.”

“Aren’t you going to eat?” I ask, just as he takes a bite of salad.

“Of course,” Rai answers. He is eating—just not anything hot. I don’t feel weird or anything, but I can’t help being suspicious. Even if just a little.

I try to slow down—but it’s been a while since I’ve had a home-cooked meal. It’s really good, actually—it warms me up inside and out. It feels nice.

“Want some more?” Rai asks.

“Um, I think I’m approaching my limit,” I admit, pushing back from the table a little. He did eat everything, I notice—but he waited till his food was a lot cooler than mine. I wonder if he has a sensitive tongue. I’ve heard of this with some cats—it’s an ancient trait. I think about asking, but I wonder how he’d take it. My guess is probably not well, and I don’t quite feel like myself. I’m exhausted. I don’t trust myself to ask without getting in worse trouble.

“Why don’t you go take a bath?” Rai suggests. “I’ll get the dishes.”

“You don’t want me to clean up, at least?” I ask. It’s the least I could do. “I’m happy to clean up.”

“When was the last time you had a warm bath? Why not take advantage while you’re here? You can use the towels and the robe in there, if you like. They are clean.”

“Thank you,” I say, truly grateful, standing up. I bring my dishes over to the sink in the kitchen. Even in here, it looks like he cleaned up as he went along—there’s hardly anything left to clean up. You can’t even tell he cooked in here

I wander into the bathroom—and it’s huge. The bathtub is gigantic. I let it fill up with water and bubble bath while I rinse off my body. I wash my hair in the shower—he has some kind of hair conditioner in the shower, too—which I apply liberally to my fur and hair after I rinse the shampoo. And then I let it sit while I climb into the hot bath water.

Water hasn’t ever been my favorite thing—though I prefer it over fire, that’s for sure. At home, I would often bathe in the spring water creek, or in the winter, heat up the water over a fire and then add it to my wooden tub. But I always prefer a quick shower to a longer dip. However—I’m still a little cold, still, and floating in these bubbles is an awfully nice way to finish the day. I even rinse my hair in the bubbly water. I can run my claws through my hair and there are no knots. It’s weird. And it reminds me of his scent—his hair must smell like this.

I lie back in the tub and shut my eyes for just a second. Just to relax for a minute.

“Oy—Konoe! Bakaneko! This is no place for you to sleep! Stupid cat!” Rai sounds really worried, and I wonder who he is talking to—then I find myself suddenly coughing up a lungful water—did I fall asleep?

“Let’s get you out of here. The water is cold, too. I thought you were in here for too long. You do need more sleep than you’re getting, don’t you?”

Rai pulls me out of the tub—and I’m soaking wet and freezing. I complain when the cold air hits my skin—and I realize, shit, I’m naked in front of him again. This seems to be the least of his concerns, however.

He wraps a towel around my body and is drying my hair with another towel—roughly squeezing out the water.

“Come on, let’s get you warmed up again. Put this on.”

He hands me a clean tee-shirt—and I see he’s taking my clothes. They are soaked through with bathwater—how did that happen? Did they fall in? What the hell?

“I’ll wash your clothes. They will be clean in the morning.”

I slip the tee on over my head, but that’s all I’m wearing.

“Go—climb under the blankets while I start the laundry. Try and get warm.”

I do as I’m told—and I realize there’s only one bed in here. Is he going to sleep in here with me? But it smells so good. When I lie down, it smells like him. I feel surrounded by Rai’s scent, which feels nice, but I yank on the hem of the tee to pull it down over my legs.

The room is nice—one of the walls is a gigantic window—and he sleeps with the curtains open. The lights are off in the apartment, so the city lights below make a beautiful picture, I think. I am just starting to get warm—but if I move even a little bit, the sateen sheets feel much too cold against my skin.

After a few minutes, Rai comes back in the bedroom.

“Getting warm?”

“I’m fine,” I say, but I realize my teeth are chattering.

“Stupid cat—you fell asleep in the water? That’s dangerous!” I watch him strip off his shirt overhead, throwing it into the laundry. He unbuckles his belt and slips out of his pants, too. Is he going to sleep naked? “Move over a bit.”

He pulls my body over closer to his which is in the center of the bed. At least he’s wearing his underwear, I guess? But I don’t know how to share a bed.

“Gods, you’re still freezing. Come here, let’s see if we can’t fix this.”

Did he forget why I’m here? Am I not here for part two of my punishment? My stomach feels upset and anxious when I think about it, so I push the thoughts out of my mind. He has pulled my body up against his, and he is nice and warm. I can’t help letting out just a little sigh of contentment when I feel his warm chest press up against my back.

Then—he starts grooming me. My ears, mostly, but my hair, nape, and shoulders, too. While he mostly licks my ears with that rough tongue of his, he is being very thorough. He runs his claws gently through my damp hair.

The touch is hot—he is hot—and I start to relax. My anxiety from earlier starts to disappear, and that repetitive grooming lulls me to sleep. Every once in a while, I feel his hands against my body—stroking my waistline gently, adjusting me a little bit, pulling the blankets over top of us both. But I just concentrate on the loud sound of grooming in my ears. Sometimes his tongue clicks slightly, sometimes I feel a fang graze the thin skin of my ear. It’s such a strange sensation, and I cannot for the life of me figure out why it feels so warm.

It’s enchanting. My stomach full of food, my body warm and content, I drift off to sleep—without even a concern that there is a gigantic, nearly nude silver cat sharing my bed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoe wakes after a great night sleep in Rai’s apartment. He is being groomed—meticulously—and is slightly confused. This Konoe is able to read other people’s emotions when he wants to, and he tries reading Rai’s—and confesses to doing so. This still doesn’t help much to figure out his boss’ intentions, however.
> 
> But after a warm breakfast, they get to work. Konoe is feeling grateful, and brings Rai a cup of coffee, and is kissed for his efforts. He is quite surprised—and delighted—by the kiss. However, the two have to learn how this sort of public display of affection will go over around customers.
> 
> This chapter starts out a little angsty.

I sleep very well—even better than I did last night. And I am woken the same way I went to sleep—with that rough tongue grooming me, gently, thoroughly, bordering on obsessively. It’s meticulous in its movements—the shell of my outer ear is damp, the fur inside my ear is wet—and I can hear a soft, even breath and a deep satisfied purr behind me.

What kind of thing is this—this grooming? 

I don’t understand, but I suddenly realize he probably did this to me the night before, too—and that is why I smelled like him all day yesterday. But I don’t understand why I didn’t wake up the night before. Was I really so exhausted that I didn’t notice?

Also I realize I am purring, too—contentedly and loudly.

What is up with that? Should I move? I’m awake now—and I’m a little embarrassed. He’s grooming the back of my neck—which I can’t reach on my own—and it feels a little weird. It sends rather pleasant shivers down my spine and my back, ruffling up the fur on my tail. Maybe I’ve just been alone for too long?

Is this normal behavior between bosses and employees?

Is it expected? I shift around slightly—I’m sure he can tell I’m awake—but he doesn’t stop or slow down. Should I say something? He pulls down my collar a little, exposing more of my back and my shoulders, and he licks them, too, moving down further along my spine.

Then—to my utter shock, he turns my body over, pressing my stomach to the mattress and pulling up my shirt, licking down the length of my spine to my tail. He’s almost lying on top of me—and the warm weight of his body is holding me in place—I can feel his skin against the backs of my legs and my thighs—my ass is exposed to the air just for a moment, and his hands caress me lightly as he grabs my tail and starts grooming.

I struggle, complaining about the sudden exposure. I know this _can’t_ be normal, and I hear a soft growl from him underneath that purr.

“Just submit,” he says softly. It doesn’t even sound like much of a command or demand. Just a simple statement, as though it’s the natural thing for me to do, and I am acting out of turn for complaining. And that’s all he says.

My blood runs cold—as if there is ice in my veins—and I am suddenly terrified.

I realize that even if I wanted to fight him off, there is nothing I could do. There is a Setsuran bounty hunter in bed with me—nearly naked, if not completely naked. And I got in bed with him willingly last night. As far as he’s concerned, that was my consent, wasn’t it? Whatever happens next I have coming to me, don’t I? 

A few tears leak from my eyes, and I feel his hands stroking my ass softly—and I realize his touch feels familiar, almost comfortable. It certainly isn’t unwelcome, much to my utter shock. It almost settles my fear. My back arches into the touch—like I expect it, almost. My body wants it, more than anything—the realization rushes through my brain and my dick is hard.

What the hell is _wrong_ with me?

Am I not about to be raped? And I’m turned on as hell? Do I actually _want_ this? What the fuck is happening to my body?

I feel completely fucked up, and I’m completely overcome with guilt. I heave a great sigh—and it comes out as a sob. I’m actually crying.

For a second, Rai stops grooming my tail.

“What is it?”

I don’t say anything.

“Am I hurting you?”

He isn’t.

“Do you want me to stop?”

Ugh—that’s _not_ a fair question! I open my mouth to reply and another small sob leaks out. I cover my mouth with both hands. I’m terribly ashamed and even more confused.

“What’s the matter?”

He runs his claws through my tail—and it really feels... _good_. I enjoy his scent on me. I really do. But am I attracted to him like this because his scent has been on me for the past day? Is that why I feel this way? Is he manipulating me? What _is_ this?

“Konoe, I will stop grooming you if you want me to stop. But it seemed to help you sleep your first night here—it stopped your nightmares, in fact. You slept much more soundly—you even purred while you slept. You seemed so well-rested the next morning.” Nightmares? I was having nightmares?

“Is that why... you are doing this to me?” I ask—my voice soft.

“Yes. I want you to do well here, with me.”

I turn my head to look at him. He sounds sincere—and he meets my gaze, glancing up at my ears for a moment. He smiles. Wow—he looks so different when he smiles—so unbelievably handsome... 

“Sorry.” He reaches out and touches my ear—I feel it snapping back into place—ugh—it’s been inside out for gods only know how long! How ridiculous! I feel both of them heating up in embarrassment—and even more, I’m practically _naked_. 

Then it occurs to me that he doesn’t seem to have any issues with my nudity whatsoever. He saw me naked in the bath—he stripped me naked in his office when he spanked me—another completely ridiculous act—and now I’m nearly naked in his bed while he’s grooming me, and I even spent the night with him like this.

So maybe he isn’t really interested in my body—or else he doesn’t think much of nudity? 

“I don’t want you to cry,” Rai says. “This isn’t punishment. This is meant to soothe you. Doesn’t it? I find it strangely soothing myself—grooming you, I mean.”

What? 

“Grooming me relaxes you?” I ask, incredulous. It does relax me, and it makes me feel good— cared for—loved, even. I haven’t felt like I belong anywhere since Mom died. But is this more a manipulation of my desire than real feelings? I rearly can’t tell. 

Also—I can feel something straining against my chest, while he grooms me. I don’t know how to describe it—and it’s gotten much better since I’ve come to Toshima. But I used to stay away from other cats because I could often feel their emotions when they were in close proximity to me.

Feelings that weren’t mine—anger, resentment, heartbreak, sadness, loss—would come pouring into my chest like a river, often so strong to make me bowl over with pain. It was emotion laced with physical pain. Part of me thinks I can feel Rai’s emotions pressing against the restraints of my heart. I’ve learned to build a wall around my heart to protect myself from the feelings of others.

And for the first time in my life, I want to drop this wall of restraint. Mostly I am terribly curious. I do not understand this silver cat or his intentions toward me. It would be a simple thing to drop my restraints and let his feelings flow into me. However, part of me fears I wouldn’t be able to get them back up, and I’d risk becoming completely overwhelmed. 

The more I think about it, the better the idea seems, however. I could just _ask_ what he’s feeling and what his intentions are, but the chance of him giving me a straight answer is practically zero. He is very reserved, too, so perhaps he doesn’t have much emotion, to begin with.

I startle from my thoughts when he speaks again, his voice much closer to my ear now.

“Are you going to try to tell me that my grooming you is uncomfortable or unwanted?” Rai murmurs softly. He’s curled up his large warm body around mine.

“N-no,” I confess—without meaning to. “It feels nice, like I have a home.” Shit. I didn’t mean to say anything about my feelings. They just spilled out of my mouth.

“Ah, I see,” and it sounds so strange in my ear. The “Ah” is drawn out, and “see” is whispered sibilantly into the depths of my ear, making a hissing sound. His words feel like caresses. And my heartbeat picks up. 

Then for a moment—I remember—he actually _spanked_ me yesterday! I was humiliated—so why am I having these weird tender responses? What was the point in spanking me? Establishing his dominance over me? He already has that, as my boss, doesn’t he? But it almost has another effect. It makes me desire him physically. I want him to touch me, and I want to please him, more than anything. 

It hurt—it did—but it also felt like something else—other than pain.

Am I really that undisciplined? 

A few tears slip from my cheeks—what if that happens at work again today? What am I going to do? And why hasn’t he implemented part two of the punishment, whatever it is? 

“Are those fresh tears?” Rai whispers again. “Do you want me to stop? You are not required to submit to this, Konoe. This is for both of our benefits and will help establish our bond.” 

Bond? What bond? Do we have a bond? Is that what the spanking did? I can’t figure it out. 

I decide to loosen the restraints around my heart, the ones that take so much effort to maintain. I expect an immediate influx of strange, hard-to-understand feelings to overtake my soul like mud, making me feel like I might drown. But this is Rai—that beautiful silver cat, my boss—and I really want to know what he is feeling. 

“No—don’t stop,” I whisper softly, in response to the soft grooming. It will settle me, I think, and help me understand his feelings. “Please don’t stop.”

As my ears are carefully groomed, his feelings begin flowing into me. But instead of a river, they feel more like a glacier—heavy, beautiful, and clear—prone to cracking and breaking like glass. They almost melt into my body—but the feelings themselves aren’t cold. Not at all.

The first thing I feel from Rai is... warmth. And along with it, an attraction to warmth— _my_ warmth, it seems. He has been enthralled with it since he first saw the fire burning in my eyes at our first meeting. I can see myself reflected in his thoughts—and I look so strange. I look almost beautiful, I think. And then he continues to see that warmth in the honey color of my eyes, my golden blond hair—he groomed it as well—and in the sound of my voice.

I expect to see pity—who wants to see a starving kitten sleeping alone in the sleet-covered streets? But I don’t feel anything like pity. I feel something closer to the desire or instinct to protect me—shield me—from the outside world, which I find oddly fascinating. Why would he want to protect me? And from what or whom?

Look deeper still, there’s a memory of me—I see it, like a movie—and it’s obviously from that time he disciplined me in his office. I almost throw the walls back up now, because I’m not sure I _want_ to know his feelings or intentions about that time, but my curiosity gets the best of me. His feelings do not fit the situation—at all. He feels... indulged, like he was treated to something special. 

What? That makes no sense! Because he could touch my body? I look a little deeper—and his experience is so much different than mine. He was waiting for and expecting me to submit, which I did. But he did not expect me to cry out to him, climbing up into his arms, and beg for forgiveness. Those feelings are surrounded with a small but bright and warm ray of hope shining through to his heart. 

 _I_ _may_ _not_ _have_ _to_ _be_ _alone_ , _ever_ _again_. 

He is lonely? I’m shocked. How can such an elegant creature feel loneliness? It make my own heart hurt, and I want to soothe him.

Another set of feelings—these are the last ones to flow in, but also are the most powerful. _Desire_. Pure, unfiltered, raw desire. And at first, it scares me. Is it the desire to make me submit? Is it the desire to make me beg him on my knees? It doesn’t have these images attached to it—and instead—the images are more subtle. 

He is watching me smile genuinely at a customer. 

He is watching with irritation when the customer who likes to be called Master flirts with me.

He is watching me eat—both yesterday’s breakfast, he caught me licking the kuim juice off my fingers, and also the dinner he prepared for me.

But even more than that—finding me in the bath asleep—he ran his eyes over my body, and he desires me. It’s fascinating and frightening, in equal parts. Then, grooming me—the care he takes, going over the same few inches of my ear repeatedly. Stroking my legs—my tail—my waistline.

But is this real? Does he desire my body—this small, plain body—so much? It seems crazy that someone of his caliber would be interested in me. 

I realize I’ve turned around and am staring up at his face, boldly meeting his eye. That desire, though—I feel it, too, but it doesn’t feel like I’ll get wrapped up in its pace. His feels like a biological urge. He wants to fuck me. It makes my fur bristle—because I’ve never felt like an attractive cat before. And I certainly have the same desire for him. 

“What is it?” Rai asks softly. 

“Ah—um, I have an ability,” I confess.

“Do you?”

“Yes. When others touch me, it can happen that their emotions cross over into physical sensations.” 

Rai sits back in the bed for a moment, his hair spilling across his bare chest.

“Really? So, as I’ve been grooming you, you’ve been what—reading my mind?”

“It’s not like that,” I answer—now nervous. “I’m just trying to figure out what you want from me.”

“You could just ask,” he suggests, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.

“I could, but who knows what that would actually get me? The truth? It’s often better to collect it right from the source.”

“So are you comfortable around me now?” Rai teases. “You should know what I’m thinking.” 

“It’s not that,” I try to explain. “I can feel only your experiences and your feelings, not your thoughts or intentions.”

“Hmm. I bet you saw some pretty vulgar stuff then, didn’t you?”

His question surprises me. My ears flatten when he asks, and I look up at his face, unsure of how serious he is. 

“Well, didn’t you? Like what I want to do to you?” Rai’s voice drops in pitch and volume, and he continues. “Unless... you saw it and it looks _appealing_.” 

I really don’t understand what he means, and my confusion is evident. His tone tells me he is talking about sex, but I’m not sure. Is it just my lack of experience?

“Why are you treating me like this? I find it confusing.” 

“What do you mean?” he asks softly. “You should know—invading my feelings like that.”

“I did not invade anything!” I burst out suddenly. “They come crashing in on their own accord! I do not go snooping them out! However, my barriers for keeping these feelings out are pretty high—it can be overwhelming and exhausting when I don’t understand the context—and I lowered my defenses in order to figure out what the hell you want from me.” 

“Did you? So it was deliberate, then?” 

“Yes,” I say, slightly mortified. I have been caught prying, I suppose. 

“If it helps, I don’t think have any feelings toward you that I particularly feel like I need to hide. In fact, I’m surprised my intent isn’t clear.”

“Even if I haven’t lived around other cats?” I ask. I know nothing, I realize.

“This is truly bothering you, isn’t it? What is it that you want to know?”

He is still stroking me, making it hard for me to think. 

“Why am I here with you now? Why did you bring me here?”

“You’d rather be alone?” 

“I didn’t say that. I was just expecting... something else.” 

“What? You had expectations? This should be interesting.” He chuckles softly. “What did you expect I would do to you here? Ravish you? Take you against your will?”

And my gods—even when he is just joking around with those words, my body heats up fiercely, starting to sweat. What is my problem? Is that what I _want_? 

“You’re taking an awfully long time to answer.”

“Well, this was supposed to be part of my punishment,” I admit, lowering my ears.

“You thought I would ravish you as punishment? What kind of barbarian do you take me for?” Rai tips my chin up so he can look at my face directly. “Unless there was something about that punishment that you haven’t told me. Perhaps you enjoyed it more than I thought?”

“What?! No!” I sputter. But secretly, I wonder if that is true. I can’t stop thinking about it.

“There is no shame in that, little kitten. It’s possible your body is just quite thirsty for touch of _any_ kind. What if I said there was a second part to your punishment because I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get you to come to my apartment otherwise?” Rai asks, now right in my ear. 

“You _aren’t_ going to punish me?” 

“I already did, and you’ve made it clear you _want_ to work with me. So I’m happy.” 

I am starting to feel frustrated.

“So... why _did_ you want me to come here?”

“First, I don’t like the idea of leaving you to sleep on the floor of that cold room alone. I don’t care how tired you are. I have a warm apartment, extra space, and you’re welcome here.”

I look up at his face reflexively. 

“What? Why? You don’t know me.”

“No. But I am a pretty good judge of character. I’m pretty sure you’ll be easy to have around. And second, something about your presence soothes me. Like grooming you does. I didn’t realize I was lonely till I met you, actually. I’ve worked alone as long as I can remember, and you’ve changed my mind after just two days.” 

I close my mouth, which has been hanging open. 

“Third, you needed a good bath. That’s only good for your health and my business.”

“I see.” Although, I’m not sure that is true. “Thank you for sharing your home with me.”

“My motives may be impure,” Rai says cryptically. “But let’s get some breakfast.” 

Turning over, I stretch out nice and long in the bed, giving another yawn. I also pull my shirt back down over my body for modesty. I really did sleep well. Maybe my boss isn’t as scary as I thought he was—but then I remember him taking me over his knee—especially when my bare ass drags across the sheets. 

I wince. And looking up, Rai saw me. My ears flood with heat again. 

“Gods, you need to stop that blushing or I’ll never make it to work.” Rai pets the base of my ears murmuring gently. “Pink ears. I guess you’re a little sore still?” 

I am not sure how to answer, so I nod.

“That’s not a bad thing, Konoe. A small reminder may help keep your mouth in line.”

I inhale sharply about to snap back, but then... my ass kind of _does_ hurt, especially right where it meets my thighs. It is, actually, enough to make me keep my rude comment to myself. Instead, I say something more diplomatic. 

“You could also be more specific as to how you’d like me to address you, or what conversations are appropriate. I’m not sure violence is the answer.” 

I stand up and following Rai’s white tail into the dining area. He’s still only dressed in his underwear—black boxers.

“That wasn’t violence. That was discipline. But I suppose you have a point. However, why would I when your body learns its lessons so well? It’s almost as if no one has ever raised a hand to you before.”

I sigh, dejectedly, sitting down too hard in my chair. It hurts—and then I realize I’m sitting on Rai’s furniture with nothing on under this tee-shirt. I feel so lewd.

“What’s that face? Did I guess right?”

“Pretty much, though I was driven from my town while being beaten.” The memory burns alive and well in my mind.

“Hmph,” Rai mumbles. He fixes breakfast for me—eggs, toast, bacon and sliced fruit—and it’s delicious. There’s even freshly pressed orange juice, which is very tasty.

My heart feel full enough to burst—but I still don’t understand him at all. After I eat, I clean up the dishes, washing them carefully in the sink, while Rai gets showered—but not before he asks if I’d like to shower with him. He must be teasing, and I decline.

I’m still thinking about the offer while I’m doing the dishes in the sink, trying not to think too hard about what his body would look like, lathered up in bubbles. That beautiful pale skin—those gorgeous muscles—all that lovely white fur and silver hair... it’s overwhelming to think about. I think I may be lusting after him. No—I’m _definitely_ lusting after my boss, and listening to the shower is making me hotter and hotter.

I am breathing heavily when I see him emerge from the bathroom with only a towel around his waist, and I look up from where I am at the sink.

For just a split second, I think about kissing him. What would he do, if I dropped everything and ran up to him, threw myself in his arms, and kissed his lips?

I still smell like him from this morning’s grooming.

He meets my eye boldly—almost as though he’s reading my thoughts. And then, he smiles.

Gods, he’s a gorgeous cat. I don’t drop my gaze, though. I find I can’t. I want him—so much. But that... I think it would be a mistake. Wouldn’t it be a mistake? I mean—I felt his desire for me, so why do I hesitate?

“Your clothes are clean and ready to wear,” Rai says, his voice gentle and soft. He gestures toward the closet. Humans have appliances that do the washing and drying—it’s convenient.

I do not feel calm. I swallow—both the saliva in my mouth and my desire. And I put a smile on my face.

“Thank you.” 

I pull my clothes out of the dryer and head back to Rai’s bedroom to dress—where I find the silver cat pulling on his clothes. He’s got his pants on and is buttoning them up. He glances over his shoulder, his wet hair long and down to his waist, and gives me a little smile.

Suddenly, I wonder, does he know what I am feeling? How can he tell? It feels like he _knows_ what I am feeling—that I also desire him, and that I’m holding myself back. Is this all because he was grooming me? 

It isn’t. I _know_ it isn’t, as I stare at his gorgeous body. It’s because he looks and smells so damned good.

Shit—could we be approaching mating season again? Is that what is happening here? Damn it—if I go through what I did six months ago, in this cat’s presence—shit—I will not be able to hold myself back! I know I won’t.

“Like what you see?” 

The words are thrown casually in my direction, and I look down immediately. 

“I’m sorry,” I say, turn around and head to the bathroom, closing the door a little too hard behind me. I exhale the breath I’ve been holding as soon as I get inside—there is still steam in the room from his shower—the image of that body covered from head to toe in soap pops into my brain again, and I shake my head—hard. 

Get a _hold_ of yourself! You have to work with him all day!

I pull my clothes on quickly—and they smell much better—clean and dry. And warm from the dryer.

I also fix my hair—it’s much longer than it has been in a while. I usually keep it short, or I used to, when I lived in Karou.

I come out of the bathroom to find Rai brushing his long hair out, sitting on the couch. I’m surprised at how quickly it has dried. He pulls it up into a ponytail, like he usually does at work.

“Come here for a second,” Rai says.

I obey, unquestioningly—not even giving it a second thought. 

He takes the brush to my hair, running it through my hair a few times—it feels nice—especially on my fur. Then I feel his fingers—his claws—running through the longer strands. He is doing something to it, braiding it, I think, and he ties off the end. 

“There we go—but hang on,” he murmurs. 

I startle just a little when I feel his hand on my hip. He runs the brush through the fur on my tail, and it makes me bristle. It feels really nice—and I start to purr reflexively. 

“You _do_ enjoy having your tail touched, don’t you?” It’s softly whispered in my ear.

“Mmm,” I reply, my eyes closed, leaning into the touch a little more. It feels good.

“There. All shiny. Gods, you have gorgeous fur, little one. But it’s supposed to snow today. Why don’t you wear this?” 

I feel something heavy draped over my shoulders. It’s much too large for me, but it smells so nice that I cannot keep myself from purring softly. It’s a soft fleece hoodie, lined with something almost furry, and it’s slate blue—the same color as Rai’s eye.

I feel Rai’s arms wrap around my body and he zips it up from behind. It makes me feel a little like a kid—or like a doll—but I get such a warm fuzzy feeling from the jacket it doesn’t bother me. 

“What am I going to do with you?” he whispers again. “You’d best behave yourself today, or you may end up biting off more than you can chew.”

I shiver a little—that shudder ruffling up my fur from my ears all the way down to the tip of my tail, and I feel the crooked tip of my tail grabbed suddenly. It’s lightly pinched—not painfully, but teasingly. He noticed my shivering.

I’m not sure what to make of him, but I follow him obediently to work, trying hard not to stare at that gorgeous ass—and trying even harder not to think about him in the shower. He unlocks the door and turns off the alarm. 

I prepare the coffee, fixing him a mug without him asking me to, with a little cream. Customers are starting to arrive, but I take a second to bring the mug back to his office.

“Thank you so much for yesterday—your kindness, the place to stay, the food. I don’t know how to repay you,” I say shyly. I offer him a mug of coffee while he is at his desk.

“Thank you for the coffee. And, um, I can probably come up with something, if it really bothers you,” he says, cryptically.

“Um.” I don’t know how to respond. 

While I’m standing by his desk, he stands up for a second, acting like he’s stretching. But instead, he leans across that desk and kisses me.

He actually _kisses_ me—right on the lips. It’s a gentle kiss—and his lips are definitely as soft and plush as they look—for as chiseled as his cheekbones are, and as muscular as his body is, he shouldn’t have lips this soft. And he feels so _hot_.

It’s such a gentle touch—he kisses my top lip and then my bottom lip—and I’m so shocked by his action that I open my mouth while I bristle my fur and flatten my ears. And he gently pulls me in closer by placing his hand on my nape. I feel his tongue skate along the front my teeth and then slip inside my mouth.

 _So_ _hot_ —I think—so _warm_ —and the lean muscle of his tongue feels so good. Instead of pulling away, like I should—there are _customers_ in the store—I hear a strange, lewd purring sigh come out of my mouth, and I push my body in closer to him, grabbing his arms, nearly climbing on top of the desk to get myself as close as possible. 

I can feel him smiling at my response, the eagerness I’ve been trying to suppress since I woke up this morning. And I’m kissing him back, my hands in his hair, his in mine, running down my back, down my sides, along my waist, back to the base of my tail.

And I hear the familiar voices of a few customers—including the one who likes to be called master. Shit! 

Reluctantly I pull away—shy and embarrassed—was this inappropriate? I glance up at Rai, keeping my face down, through my lashes. He looks very pleased. I’m filled with relief. 

“And that’s _exactly_ how I take my coffee,” he licks my ear gently. “I’ll let you get back to work.”

I feel myself blushing—and I know he’s watching me walk back toward the counter. And it’s possible I flick my tail and sway my hips on my way, warm feelings filling my body in an overwhelming wave.

“Good morning, master,” I say to that annoying customer, who is gaping at me.

“Good morning, pretty little kitty. I’d love some coffee and a kuim parfait this morning, if you don’t mind,” he says.

“Of course. Would you still like ice cream in it? I can make it with just yogurt and whipped cream if you’d like it a little less cold? I hear it’s supposed to snow today.” 

“Oh, that would be wonderful. What a thoughtful little kitten you are,” the man says, looking at me sideways. I’m sure he saw me kissing Rai just a minute ago.

I hand him his coffee—loaded with cream and sugar.

“I don’t suppose you’d serve me coffee the way I just saw you serve your boss, would you? That’s how I take my coffee, too.”

I’m busy preparing the kuims and nearly cut myself with the knife.

“Oh, um, he’s, uh... um, my boss,” I try to think up an excuse. 

“Is that how it works with your kind? You service your boss in exchange for work?”

I try to focus on the parfait, as well as think of what exactly I’m doing with Rai.

“N-no,” I say, “I was only thanking him for giving me a place to stay.” 

“I see. You’re staying with him. Now things make sense. Did you sleep at his place last night? _I_ have a place you can stay if you need it. Let me give you my card. I’m sure you’d _love_ my place, kitten. You’d have so many playmates. I didn’t know your tail moved like that when you kissed—that was extraordinary! You could make so much money at my club! Do you dance?” 

“Er, thank you, but no,” I say, and I sense a rather large presence next to me, appearing out of nowhere.

“Sir, you are welcome to shop at my establishment. But I’m going to have to ask you to stop harassing my employee. He will _not_  be working for you. Not _ever_.” Rai is looming over the counter now. 

“Doesn’t he have the right to speak for himself? Or is that taken away once he works for you, too?” 

“I _have_ spoken for myself,” I interrupt. I pull Rai’s sleeve just a little, and he backs away from the register. “Thank you for the invitation, but I will decline. Your kuim parfait, no ice cream.”

I give him the total and he pays, thanking me and giving Rai the most evil look I have ever seen.

“I’ll see you again soon, sweet kitten,” he says to me.

I’m relieved to see him leave and relax immediately.

“Maybe I shouldn’t kiss you in front of the customers,” Rai says thoughtfully—but out _loud_ , while customers are in the store shopping.

My ears flatten in embarrassment.

“Please, Rai,” I say. “Could we perhaps discuss this another time?”

“Maybe it was just _that_ customer?” Rai asks, looking at me closely. “I think we need some more data.”

I see another customer walk into the store, but before I can welcome him, Rai almost violently pulls me into his arms and kisses me again. Our lips crash together with such force—his fangs pushing against my lips in a near bite. And that sound comes out of me again—in protest at first, but it quickly melts away into a purring sigh. I feel so lewd—and this time, he’s got my body pressed between his and the counter, my butt seated on the countertop where customers are supposed to put their items.

I keep my hands at my sides and gripping the counter for duration of this kiss—I’m so surprised and taken aback, and honestly, a little frightened. But I am definitely returning the kiss eagerly. The feeling of his tongue in my mouth makes me feel good—and it goes straight to my hips and pools there.

He finally releases me and sets me down gently on the floor, kissing the tip of my nose.

“Excuse me,” he says over my shoulder. “I had urgent research regarding my employee here.” Then, after lifting his eyebrows at me, Rai wanders back to his office, leaving me touching my lips in shock. 

Standing at the register, holding a green curry bun, is Keisuke, the young man with brown hair and brown eyes I met yesterday. He looks shocked—as shocked as I feel.

I turn to him and ask, “Would you like coffee with your bun this morning, Keisuke?” 

“Oh, um, please,” he says. 

I pour it, when I turn around, I know my face and ears are blushing furiously. 

“I apologize for that,” I say. “My boss seems to be in an interesting mood this morning.” 

“He certainly seems like an interesting man to work for,” Keisuke says. When I collect his money, though, Keisuke is smiling. He doesn’t seem offended. If anything, he seems to find the whole situation amusing. 

My heart is racing, however—and stays that way—for quite some time. And I anticipate further data collection for the rest of the day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rai continues his “data collection,” much to Konoe’s... bewilderment, for the remainder of the day. Konoe makes the acquaintance of a devil, who seems abnormally interested in him.
> 
> There is a small mishap in the condiment aisle—when Rai spooks his poor, flustered employee, resulting in the spillage of an entire bottle of kuim syrup.
> 
> Rai ends up closing shop early—due to a snow storm and also so he can drag Konoe back to his apartment to help clean up the mess he’s made.

Rai’s “data collection” continues as the day goes on—and I start to get a little wary of his attacks while I’m in the store. I’ll be sweeping the entrance and suddenly find myself pulled into his arms for a kiss. When it’s time to brew a new pot of coffee, he sneaks up behind me, takes me by surprise, and pulls me in for a kiss. I’ll be about to ring up a customer at the register and he will pull me in for a kiss—these are probably the most embarrassing moments, and I find his behavior bordering on obsessive and possessive.

Plus, to my annoyance, I never even hear him coming. He makes no sound when he approaches, though I can easily hear him when he is cleaning the store or restocking inventory or supplies. He is a _huge_ cat—and I have really good hearing to make up for my rather poor sense of direction and eyesight. But for the life of me, I cannot figure out how a cat his size manages to move so silently! 

The man on the motorcycle—the _killer_ on the motorcycle, as Rai calls him—comes in for his usual water, and he chooses it from the fridge. Rai is nowhere to be seen, thank the gods. But then—as much as I do not wish to be violently kissed in front of this customer, I wouldn’t mind Rai’s large presence while this customer is in the store.

He seems to be glancing around the store, searching for something when I ring him up. And he finally opens his mouth. His voice is soft like silk—much lighter and smoother than his looks would suggest.

“Where is the white man today?” 

“Oh, the owner? He’s here. He must just be in the back of the store,” I say casually. “I’m sure he will be back soon. Did you want me to get him?”

“No. I have something I want to ask you. About this water.” He taps the bottle on the counter several times.

“Yes?” I swallow nervously. Why would he wait till Rai was gone to ask me a question? I find myself shrinking behind the counter slightly. 

“When I drink this water, I have dreams. Strange dreams. What is this stuff?”

“Oh,” I say. He must be benefitting from the cleansing effects of the purification. “The memories?” I ask.

“Memories?” He sounds troubled and confused. 

“Yes. This water has been blessed by a Sanga and is designed to cleanse impurities of all types from the body of their Touga. It should have a healing effect on your body as well. Are the dreams troublesome? I hope they aren’t nightmares.”

“I don’t know about Sangas and Tougas,” he says and pauses for a moment. “But no. I only hear a voice. A strange, familiar voice.”

“We have other types of water, if you do not wish to be troubled by these dreams,” I suggest.

“I did not say I disliked it,” the man says sharply, taking his water and his change. He leaves as abruptly as ever, nearly bumping into the next customer—Keisuke—on his way out. I see Akira waiting outside, looking at the man’s motorcycle. The man exchanges rather heated words with Akira, who, were he a cat, would be ruffling his fur and baring fangs, but the man simply looks at him. Perhaps he knew him in another life, I think?

“Good evening, Keisuke,” I say. 

“Good evening, Konoe,” he returns with a smile. “How goes your boss’ research?” 

I blush furiously, unsure of how to respond, and when I look up, Keisuke is smiling at me. 

“I think you’re terribly cute when you blush, Konoe,” he confesses. “I’m sure your boss does, too. I wonder if that is what he is researching.”

“It’s not like I can help that,” I say. 

“Can’t help what?” Rai murmurs low, directly in my ear—and it startles me so much that I jump—both my feet leaving the floor—and a sound of surprise comes out of my mouth.

“Please!” I say, putting a hand over my heart. “You are taking years off my life! I know you can make noise when you walk—so why do you insist on scaring me half to death when you sneak around like this?!” 

“I’m not sneaking. I’m sure the customer saw me, didn’t you?” 

“I did,” Keisuke says. “He was standing right behind you, which is why I asked about his research.”

“My data collection is going well,” Rai says, smugly.

“Well, it would be duplicate data if you collected anything else—at this point,” I warn grumpily. 

“Would it? It’s said repeated experiments are the best way to determine the validity of one’s research.” He steps a little closer.

“Can’t you at least let him leave the store first?”

“All right, fine. Go right ahead.” 

Keisuke laughs, and I ring up his second green curry bun of the day. The moment I give him his change, I feel Rai’s lips on my ear and his hands at my waist.

“Have a good day,” I say almost desperately, watching him leave, a slight sense of hopelessness coming over me.

“Good luck with that,” Keisuke laughs on his way out.

“If you don’t like it, just bite me and get away,” Rai murmurs. 

I have tried that—and _nothing_ I do works. I can’t scratch him, because he grabs both my hands instantly, pinning them behind me. And even if I do manage to bite his lip, it does nothing but incite him further. I can hear his breath picking up, and he starts purring loudly—like he enjoys it! 

“Rai—this is inappropriate!” I complain. 

“If you don’t like it...” He turns me around so I am facing him now.

“I’m trying!” 

“Try a little harder,” he says, smiling down at me.

I do—trying to wiggle out of his grasp, but he still does not release me. If he doesn’t reach my lips, he gets my ears, and those are almost more sensitive—especially if I’m struggling. I feel them heating up, and the sensations applied to them shoot straight to my hips—I’m actually aroused by his touch!—and I’m feeling humiliated by this point.

So I stop struggling, going completely limp. 

“What’s this?” He catches me easily, or I would fall on the floor. “Are you trying to crack your head open?”

I relax completely, making my body as heavy as possible. But, of course, that does no good, either.

“Is this _submission_?” The way he asks this—jeez—his voice is even lower and utterly heated. I look at his face, and his usually pale blue eye is dark—that pupil is blown wide and large. He has nice, long eyelashes, I notice, and they blink slowly.

“Why are you looking at me like that? This is me, giving up,” I say.

“Giving up? Meaning... I can do whatever I like with you?” Do whatever he likes...? Exactly what does he have in mind?! His voice rumbles low and deep in my bones—like the frequency of its tone was made just for me. It makes my skin prickle.

Thank gods I hear a truck pull up and the back door open. 

“Yo, I’m here!” Bardo’s voice sings out, and I hear his footsteps approaching from the back of the store. “Oh—am I interrupting?”

“You’re _late_. You were supposed to be here this _morning_ ,” Rai growls. “Where have you been?”

“One of my deliveries took longer than I expected,” Bardo says casually. “It couldn’t be helped, really.” I can’t help noticing he is staring at me.

“Damn it, stop by my store first! It’s the least you can do!” Rai snaps. He’s irritated, and he releases me from his iron grip.

“You aren’t going to have your cute little helper unload?” Bardo asks. Is his voice always that suggestive?

“Don’t even _look_ at him! He can mind the shop while we get this done. The palettes may be too heavy. He will help restock.” Rai heads out the back door in a huff. Bardo lingers a few more moments, staring at me—I find it uncomfortable—before he follows the white cat outside. I start restocking inventory the moment they bring the first palettes in.

I do the bread first. It’s a popular seller, it seems. And I know how to do this. Quite a few customers come in to buy things—perhaps stocking items for the snowstorm expected this evening—and I’m interrupted, but it’s easy for me to ring them up, speak a few friendly words, and then go back to restocking.

While I’m putting the last few loaves away, a pair of arms wrap around my waist from nowhere, and I feel a nose nuzzling right between my ears. I can tell it’s Rai again—and I sure hope Bardo is gone. 

“Don’t you have enough data?” I ask.

“Not even close,” he whispers. My ears are licked, and the tip of one is sucked into his mouth, pressed between his lips. This is no grooming—what he is doing now—that is _not_ grooming.

“What are you—?” I have to stop my question, because of the lewd sounds leaking out from between my lips. I press them together desperately to keep myself from crying out. What the hell is wrong with me?

“Data collection,” he says simply. He’s making shivers crawl up and down my back and spine, and the light, teasing touch makes my fur fluff out.

“Oy, oy!” I hear Bardo’s deep baritone interrupting. “What are you doing to that kitten—right here in the middle of the store? So unprofessional!”

“You mind your own damn business,” Rai growls—and even that growl makes me shiver. But he does eventually get back to work.

I happen to notice a fancy car drive up outside—a really expensive-looking black one. It has an M on the front of the grill, and Bardo murmurs, “Nice car,” as he walks out the back door to his truck.

When the door opens, I sing out, “Good evening and welcome,” to the tall figure who has entered.

It’s a human—I’d guess in his late 20s or earlier 30s—a handsome, sculpted face, piercing blue eyes and the reddest hair I’ve ever seen. It is partly pulled back from his forehead but mostly floats around his shoulders in deep, rich waves.

He’s dressed in a fancy black three-piece suit, red shirt, and a black and red tie, his shoes are polished and shining. He looks at me—and then gives me a second glance from the tips of my ears to the tip of my tail, this time with an intense interest in his eyes. I get a strange feeling under his scrutiny. He looks calm, but it seems like there is an ocean of emotion hidden just beneath that calm exterior. 

“Do you carry beer and wine?” he asks, and his voice is low and deep.

“We do,” and I point him in the right direction. When I glance over at Rai, I see he is watching this customer with more than casual interest. In fact, I think his fur bristles and his body taut like the string of a bow. He’s scaring me a little.

The red-haired man is gazing at the wine and beer, makes a few selections and carries them to the register.

“Thank you very much,” he says, giving me that interested look again. “You aren’t from around here, are you, little one?”

“I’m not. I’m from Karou,” I see, quickly ringing up his purchase. He hands me a smooth black credit card for payment. “Thank you.”

“I see. Do you work and live here now?”

“Yes,” I answer.

“I should like to offer my services, should you ever need them.” He hands me a business card. It’s a rather minimalist design, but elegant, heavy black cardstock embossed with gold and red foil. His name is Razel, and it says “Devil of Wrath.” I glance up at him questioningly. “You never know.”

I don’t know what I have done to deserve his attention, and apparently, my expression shows this.

“You simply caught my eye,” he says, a gentle smile on his face.

I hand back his credit card and he takes his wine, tipping his chin in farewell as he walks out the door. I watch as he climbs into that fancy car and drives off.

Rai approaches on the other side of the counter. His card was left on the counter and he picks it up.

“I knew it. I could smell it the minute he walked in!” he growls lowly. “Throw that card away. That was a devil!”

I flatten my ears. A devil?? That frightens me. Why did he give me his card?

“What would he want with me?” I ask softly, nervously scooting the card over to the trash bin—as if I’m afraid to touch it.

“Who knows?” Rai says, but he looks at me slightly askew, as though I might be hiding something.

I start to become very nervous, my fur fluffed out, my hands shaking. The last thing I want is to draw the attention of a devil!

“He can’t hurt you here,” Rai says suddenly, noticing my anxiety. His voice is so soft and gentle that it makes me look up sharply. He sounds like a different cat. “I won’t let him touch you.”

That’s right—Rai was a bounty hunter. But was he _that_ kind of bounty hunter? He took down demons?

“How did you know he was a demon?” I ask.

“For my previous job,” he says nonchalantly. “It was useful for me to know these things. Demons have a different smell to them than cats or Two Canes.”

“You hunted... demons?”

“I did,” Rai says, looking away, toward his left, which incidentally gives me a great view of his right eye, covered with the eye patch. I wonder how he lost that eye. Then he turns back to me, meeting my gaze and taking my still-trembling hands, which are resting on the counter, in his.

“Listen, do not concern yourself with this. You will be safe here. Still—perhaps you want to be careful about leaving the store on your own. That devil certainly has his eye on you.” 

I nod, swallowing down my fear. Having Rai around certainly makes me feel safer. I feel a strange presence, and when I look up, his face is close to mine, a soft, sexy smile on his lips. he’s leaning across the counter again. Although—he isn’t making a move. It’s like he waiting for me.

“What are you doing?” I breathe softly against his lips.

“Data collection,” he replies cryptically, his smirk widening into a genuine smile.

“Hmph,” I murmur, and then I tilt my chin and kiss his lips—just softly—but he takes me hard the moment I reach out to him, pulling me nearly off the floor by my shoulders. Sighs leak from my mouth into his, and I can feel him purring.

He sets me down gently.

“Certainly, you don’t sound worried anymore.” He strokes my ears softly. “Let’s finish the restocking, shall we? We may need to close early because of the storm.”

It’s dark outside already—and cold—and it is just starting to snow. I’m working in an aisle I’ve haven’t restocked before. I’m working on condiments, mostly—if you are having a barbecue, this is what you’d pick up. There are ketchup and mayonnaise, pickles and mustard, and all sorts of interesting things in jars and bottles. Right now, I’m restocking some kuim syrup, which sounds very tasty to me. Looking at the bottle, it says you can use it on desserts and ice cream, fruit salad and kadil, and all of those sound good. Though I might just eat it with a spoon, or even directly from the bottle. It’s in a handy squeeze bottle, too, and I’m examining it quite closely, very interested, quite absorbed in my task.

“It looks like you’re quite distracted, little one.”

Rai appears out of nowhere on my right—scaring the living shit out of me once again—and I jump out of my skin. By all rights, I should have seen him approach—he’s in my line of sight, but I just didn’t! This time, unfortunately, I have the bottle of kuim syrup in my hands and almost in slow motion, I watch as my hands reflexively squeeze around the bottle as I turn toward him in surprise.

The plastic seal on the bottle breaks easily—sending the sticky red syrup shooting up out of the bottle like a firework—and directly onto my boss. It doesn’t just hit his apron. Oh no. It lands all over him—on his face, his neck, his exposed collarbones, his hair, his ears, and even his tail, which fluffs up in surprise behind him. I hear him make a rather surprised gasp, which—in retrospect—was kind of cute.

I have emptied the entire bottle of syrup onto him, and only about five small drops landed on the floor. The rest—oh _fuck_ —are covering my boss is a gooey, sticky, syrupy mess. And it’s deep reddish pink color, which shows up fabulously in his white hair and fur and pale skin.

“Oh, my gods,” I whisper—and I am paralyzed with fear now, my heart pounding in my chest. He looks so surprised and so cute like this—blinking in shock—long eyelashes fluttering like he cannot believe what just happened. He brings his hand up to his face, wiping a few drops off the tips of his eyelashes.

“Uh, er, um... I’m so sorry!” I blurt. “I was just so startled! I didn’t hear you coming and you just appeared there and I didn’t mean to—” I can’t speak because I am watching Rai’s hands as they run through the tips of his sticky, syrup-coated hair. His expression is one of utter, incredulous disbelief.

And then, he glares down at me.

“What is the meaning of this?” His voice is low and growling—angry, but frighteningly calm.

“I didn’t mean to—”

“And yet you _did_ ,” he interrupts, feeling the syrup as it continues dripping ever so slowly down his neck. It smells really good, actually, and I lick my lips. A shocked expression comes over his face when he sees me lick my lips, and he exclaims, “What the fuck was _that_??”

“Wh-what?” I ask, completely embarrassed. 

“I see. Kuim _is_ your favorite, isn’t it?” His arm shoots out and grabs me. I really don’t want him to pull me in for an embrace less I get covered in that sticky syrup, too.

“W-wait!” I protest, afraid of what he will do to me, the spanking he gave me yesterday fresh in my mind—and my ass tingles just a little bit when I think of it.

Rai glances at his watch.

“It looks like we will be closing a little early today,” he states. He pulls me along to the front door and locks it, pulls me behind him to turn off the lights, and brings me back to the aisle where the syrup was spilled. “We are heading home to take care of this mess. You will clean this up while I take care of the cash.”

My ears lowered, I clean up the few drops of syrup on the floor. They are sticky—but I can’t believe there are only so few—out of that entire bottle. The rest is... covering him. Another little shiver goes through my body, and disbelief fills my very soul. I cannot believe that just happened!

“Konoe, bring me another bottle.” 

What? Why? I do not question him, but I am afraid. Is he going to give me a taste of my own medicine, I wonder?

“Come along. It’s started to snow, and there’s a blizzard in the forecast.”

He hands me my hoodie, which I put on and zip up, and he pulls me along briskly behind him, back to his apartment. I can only imagine what he has planned for me there, but I am afraid.

The trek back to the high rise is short but so cold. I am shivering, flakes of snow burying themselves in my hair—

“Bakaneko! Put your damn hood up! It’s what it’s for, isn’t it?” Rai turns around and roughly pulls up my hood over my ears.

It is much warmer, but I’m ashamed I forgot to pull up the hood myself. Truthfully, I’ve been distracted by what is coming next—and watching that white and pink tail swing back and forth widely, its usually lovely fur matted down and sticky. A sense of dread floods my body once again, and I briefly consider running—but where will I go? And what if that devil finds me? I couldn’t even find Tokino at this point.

The snow is sticking to the ground—already over an inch—but it’s a wet, slushy texture, meaning it may freeze into ice by morning. My shoes are soaking through, and my socks are wet by the time we get to the apartment building, my teeth chattering.

Rai turns to look at me as we enter, after nodding to the doorman, and he says, “You’re quite vulnerable to the cold, aren’t you? Even with fur as thick as yours?”

“Well, I’m not long-haired like you,” I mumble quietly. It feels nice to be inside, the warm air defrosting my hands and nose.

“Maybe you need some more meat on those bones,” he says. I notice he isn’t shivering, though snowflakes are stuck in his long fur.

In the elevator—I stare at his reflection—that lovely pink color in his hair—but it’s sticky and uncomfortable, I’m sure. Even those small, rounded ears are dripping—I wonder, did any syrup drip inside his ears? He’s unzipped his coat, and I see the syrup at his collarbone has made trails down beneath his shirt—and it’s probably covering his chest. The thought sends a small bolt of desire into my hips, shockingly. 

“I’m sorry,” I say miserably. “I really didn’t mean to—”

"And yet you did, and here we are,” he answers briskly. But I realize he doesn’t sound angry anymore, much to my surprise. It makes me feel a little better.

“You’re not mad at me?” I ask warily, as I follow him to his apartment, watching him unlock the door.

“I will be satisfied if you help me clean it up,” he says neutrally.

I am flooded with relief. Thank the gods! I let out an audible sigh as I follow him to his apartment. It’s even warmer in here. I unzip my hoodie and slip out of it. I also take off my shoes and socks in the entry.

“What’s this? Your shoes are soaked! We need to get you some warmer winter wear. The season is cold in this town and wet. And you need to keep warmer than this. I’ll try to help you find something, perhaps on Monday.”

“Monday?” I echo. I won’t have my first paycheck yet.

“Yes, we are closed Mondays, so I can take care of business,” Rai says, stepping out of his own boots and peeling off his socks. 

“Um, I don’t have any money,” I say softly. “I should be fine till after my first paycheck—” 

“Just stop it,” he says sharply. “I can’t have you falling ill on account of the weather when you’ve only started working for me. I’ll take care of it.”

“I couldn’t possibly—”

“You can, and you _will_ ,” he states firmly, his mind obviously made up. “Stop arguing about stupid things.”

I close my mouth and stop arguing. He can’t _make_ me go anywhere, I think. I’ve already taken enough charity from him, and I don’t understand what exactly I owe him for what he’s done for me so far.

“Now, are you ready to clean this mess up?” Standing before me with his hands on his hips, he glares down at me.

He still looks awfully cute, I think, and I try not to smile. I look down at my feet to hide my expression and say, “Of course.”

I follow him into the bathroom.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The bathroom scene. How to clean up of kuim syrup differs widely on your background, Konoe discovers, but he gets rather into it as soon as he sees Rai strip off his clothes.
> 
> One thing leads to another.
> 
> Warning: oral sex (I’m going to call it dub-con, but probably con for the lbtv universe)

The first thing my boss does while walking into the bathroom: he begins stripping off his clothes. He took his coat off already and now his shirt comes off overhead in a single pull. I can’t help staring at the muscles on his back and shoulders when he exposes his skin—he is so nicely defined. And his skin so gorgeously pale.

I hear the clinking of his belt before he strips off his jeans and pulls them off his legs, turning toward me. I’m shocked at the vision I see. He is covered—from his head to his knees—in kuim syrup. It has dripped past his waistband, and it seems, possibly even under his underwear—oh my gods! It’s in his hair, mixed with melted snowflakes, and in his ears, covering his chest in overlapping dripping lines. 

He looks adorable and utterly sexy. And my mouth waters from the scent—I have the urge to lick it from his body, but instead, I look around for a washcloth, moving toward the shower to turn it on.

“No,” Rai says. “Start with your mouth.” 

It’s as if he read my mind. However, _fantasizing_ about licking his body and actually _doing_ it are two different things. So I decide to play dumb and pretend like I don’t know what he means. 

“M-my mouth? I d-don’t understand,” but my stammer gives me away. I’m already too excited for my own own good, looking at his nearly naked sculpted body. I mean—he’s literally perfect—like some ancient god, standing here in front of me, with kuim syrup dripping down him. The god of kuim? Sweet Ribika!

“Oh, I think you _do_ understand,” he nearly growls, and he does not look pleased with my innocent act. “I’ve seen how you’ve been staring at me since that little ‘accident’ at work. It makes me wonder if it even was an accident.” 

I look up at his face—from where I was brazenly staring at his abdomen—that silver fur matted down with red juice makes it look like he has pink fur. The thought of bringing my nose up close, smelling kuim mixed with his scent, is almost enough to make me come just _thinking_ about it, and I’m not a cat who makes light of sex.

“I-i d-didn’t—i-it w-wasn’t on p-purpose!” I sputter desperately. His expression doesn’t change. 

His hands make a small gesture—as if to say, “Here I am. What’s the delay?”

I lick my lips, and my mouth is absolutely filled with saliva. My body wants him— _craves_ him—so much—I have this biological urge to lick him clean—my gods, what is wrong with me? I can’t be having feelings like this for my boss! 

“Um. I should probably start from the top, then,” I say quietly, and I approach, stealthily looking at his ears. They also have syrup on them—dripping inside—and I have wanted to groom these small, rounded ears and touch this fur since I first laid eyes on him—and now I have been ordered to do so. My body is shaking slightly, and he sits down on a shower stool so I can reach. 

At once, I think my own clothes may get sticky, however, as soon as I feel his arms snake around my waist.

“Ah—Wait!!”

“What is it?” Rai glances up at me—not a view I see very often, but he looks so sweet from this view. I could get used to it—he looks much younger, much sweeter, and much less intimidating from this angle.

“I don’t know if this is such a good idea. I don’t want my own clothes to get sticky,” I say. 

“Oh, really? You don’t want _your_ clothes to get sticky?” Rai growls. He pulls my body in a little closer to his. “I didn’t want _mine_ to get sticky, yet here we are. Do you have a _suggestion_?”

“Um... you could just wash up in the shower?” I ask, looking at my bare toes.

“Nope. That’s not going to work for me. Anything else you can think of that might _prevent_ your clothes from getting sticky?” Rai pulls my shirt out from my pants, indicating he already had a plan.

“Um, wait,” I protest, but my shirt is pulled off overhead. I left my scarf at the door. My arm warmers are removed next.

“I have a pretty good solution to the problem, if you would hear me out,” Rai says, glancing up at me again—and my gods, he is so adorable! It should be a crime for him to be so cute. He pulls me in close to his body by the waistband of my jeans and starts unbuckling my belt.

I lower my mouth to his ears—not even waiting for him to pull off my jeans. I don’t care—I cannot wait. I can’t hold myself back. I _want_ him—this urge I have is uncontrollable. I don’t know if it’s the smell of the syrup, or because he’s been kissing me all day, or touching me, or because he groomed me all last night and I smell like him—or because he looks so good. 

I tentatively give his left ear a lick—it has the most syrup on it. He tastes so good—and his fur is silky soft. My mouth is prepped for grooming—like it’s been waiting to touch him all day. I have to work not to drool on him. The skin of his ear is surprisingly thick and firm—like he wouldn’t be able to turn it inside out like I can mine—and do regularly from excessive or nervous grooming. And when I said I thought his fur was soft and silky, it doesn’t _begin_ to describe the fur inside his ear, which I also proceed to groom thoroughly. He starts to purr loudly, which makes me feel so nice.

Also, I think it tickles him slightly, which is amazingly cute and adorable. The reason I think this is because he leans his head into my chest slightly whenever I groom deep inside his ear. Of course, this makes me slow down my touch, and I grab onto his head and pull him closer. It makes me feel extraordinarily powerful.

Then, however, I feel a slightly cool feeling against my thighs—my pants have been worked off my hips—and Rai’s low voice purrs against my belly. 

“Lift up your feet for a minute.”

I obey, step up, and feel my jeans being stripped from my body—along with some of my power. It’s a strange concept—I get power from the clothes I wear? That doesn’t make sense. He certainly doesn’t _lose_ power by stripping, so why is it that I _do_? I don’t understand. Is it confidence? 

He allows me to keep my underwear on—for now anyway—but now that his hands aren’t occupied with my clothes, they begin to distract me in other ways, wandering over my body, wrapping across my back—pulling me in close and getting my belly sticky—and then I feel his tongue licking me clean—and holy shit—having him lick my belly is not the same as having him lick my ears or my face. It heats me up even more, and I am facing him, and I’m sure he can tell exactly what my feelings are right now.

“Rai...” I sigh softly in his right ear—which I have moved to, finally, after finishing his left. And I feel a shiver run across his shoulders and down his back, and when I look down, all the fur on his tail bristles, just at the sound of my voice. I can affect him this way? 

He tilts his head up, meeting my gaze once more—his pale blue eye, usually icy now searing with heat—and tilting his chin, as though asking me to kiss him. I oblige, and his tongue sinks into my mouth as if it belongs there. His hands come up to my nape, tilting my head slightly, and I feel his tongue brush the back of my throat and instead of gagging—like I feel like I should—I start to purr. 

As soon as he feels my purr, he pulls away—as though that was his reason for kissing me. He wants me to purr? Why? I mean, it feels good when I purr but isn’t this a punishment? Why would he want me to feel good?

I’m so tempted to let down that barrier between us again, but I don’t quite understand my _own_ feelings at this point. Adding his feelings to the mix would only confuse me more. I feel an almost insatiable desire in my body—to connect with Rai and touch him, be close to him, feel his skin, groom him. And then, I feel fear. He intimidates me. I am slightly afraid of him—no, more than slightly afraid—very afraid. And weirdly, my fear only makes me want him more. I don’t understand anything!

I look at his face again, but I’m done with his ears, and I’m done with most of his hair now, too. I move down to his face—and every time I lick him, he moves his lips to meet mine and captures them in a kiss. It’s not subtle, either. He really just starts licking me back and then meets my mouth, or else just crashes his lips again mine. 

"Mmm, you’re not helping me here,” I complain softly.

“Actually, I’m continuing my research from this afternoon,” he replies. 

“You don’t require an audience for that?” I ask, somewhat bewildered.

“Well, I’m gathering data with and without an audience—and right now, you seem much less inhibited without an audience,” he purrs. 

I’m not sure if I should be offended or not. 

“Don’t forget I’m only here because you dragged me here.”

“Yeah? And where would you be otherwise? If I hadn’t found a reason to drag you here, I would have invited you. And what would you have said?” 

I pause for a moment, backing away. But he pursues me, grabbing my waist with his hands. 

“Going somewhere? You’re not finished yet. I could take out the stickiness in a spanking, if you prefer.” Rai has an unreadable expression on his face.

“What?” I am shocked. Was a spanking even on the table?

“I’d be happy enough to get that cute little butt over my lap again—if your mouth is getting tired, that is,” Rai smiles, almost wickedly.

“Are you teasing me? It’s not funny! You really hurt me!” That’s not entirely the truth. Mostly it was humiliating. 

“I would never joke about such a serious matter,” Rai says. “And are you still sore? Do you need some care before we go again?” I feel his hands slide over my ass in an overly friendly way. “You have such a nice little ass. I have been trying to get you to disobey me or disrespect me all afternoon, just so I might have an excuse to spank you again. But you didn’t fall for any of my tricks—you kissed me every time without complaint. Are you reading my mind, little one?”

I look at him—his blue eye almost glowing in the low light of the bathroom. 

And I look down at my chest and I am _covered_ in kuim syrup. What the fuck? Then I look back at Rai, accusingly. He looks rather adorably innocent.

“What?” he asks, as though he’s done nothing wrong. 

“What is this?” I touch it, and it is sticky. It’s gotten all over his hair again. “Gods, I’ve just groomed your hair, and your hair is covered! What the hell were you thinking?”

“I assumed you were reading my thoughts. Aren’t you?” he looks at me expectantly. 

“No, I wasn’t. My own feelings confuse me. I thought adding yours to the mix would confuse me more.” 

“They won’t. Mine are perfectly clear. I currently have only _one_ thing on my mind. Go ahead. I will wait.” He folds me into his arms for a moment, resting his head on my chest, his sticky chest pressed against my belly. 

I have no choice, so I let down those barriers, and I am flooded with a single-minded feeling of desire—lust. It almost frightens me in the powerful, overwhelming way he feels it. I think I felt lust this powerfully when I was in heat, and he is projecting something close to what I felt then—and I am overwhelmed by his feelings. Why? Why me?

“Do you understand?” Rai asks. 

“I’m not sure,” I confess. “I lived a very isolated life in Karou.”

“You’re not in Karou anymore.” 

“Um, no.” 

“You _have_ gone through your first heat, haven’t you?” Rai asks. 

“Yes, but alone, and I suffered the entire week, longing to leave the house but afraid. I longed for something but didn’t know what it was.” I know males can connect sexually—but when I look at Rai’s underwear, even _I_ know it would have to be painful. For sure, he would take me, and I know that he would never fit where I think he would want to fit. 

“You suffered alone? Didn’t you know that you could take matters into your own hands? Take care of your own needs?”

“I didn’t. I didn’t have anyone to tell me what to expect.” 

“That must have been painful,” Rai’s voice softens. “I would like to show you. So much. Let me show you. Will you let me touch you?”

“Touch me? I’m so sticky. Plus, aren’t you punishing me?”

“Whatever you need to tell yourself to let me touch you.” There is an edge of desperation to the tone of Rai’s voice that heats up my body in a weird way. “I will you tie you up if it helps you relax.” 

“Tie me up?” 

“Oh yes,” he purrs. “I can use tape—I’ll get it. We can even use it in the shower. It’s waterproof.” 

“What? Waterproof?” I’m shocked. Why would he need to tie me up?

“Give me a second.” 

He gets up and leaves the bathroom. I’m left with my mouth hanging open, now very worried—is he getting... what? _Tape_? Why? My heart is fluttering in my throat. I get up and turn on the shower.I start quickly rinsing my body off, after slipping out of my underwear, washing my hair, lathering it up, washing that stickiness off my belly.

I don’t even notice at first when Rai joins me—naked—until he starts helping me lather up my hair. He murmurs in my ear—probably thinking of whispering but knowing that his voice won’t be heard over the water.

“You disobedient kitten.” The hair raises on the nape of my neck, even as sweetly as he speaks. “What are you doing in the shower? I was planning to lick that syrup off your body. Don’t you trust me to get you clean?” 

“That’s not it,” I whisper, probably too quiet to hear under the running shower. His hands feel so nice in my hair, and soon, the soap starts to lather up on the surface my skin, and I hardly know what to do with myself. “Ah—please—wait!” I beg.

“When you ask so politely, I can hardly resist,” he says in my ear. “What’s the matter? You can’t be feeling shy now, can you?”

“I-I’m—I-i think I-I’m afraid,” I say. 

“Afraid? What are you afraid of?” 

“I d-don’t think y-you w-will fit,” I stammer.

Rai laughs—and under the water, with his arms wrapped around me—it feels so good to hear his laughter—it’s honest and clear.

“You are nothing if not honest, my little one. I was thinking of saving _that_ particular activity for the mating season, which—I’m sure you can feel—is just around the corner. It can hurt your first time, especially if the breed sizes differ in stature as much as we do. But during mating season, your body will welcome me. In the meantime—like tonight—I was hoping you’d just let me _touch_ you. And perhaps you’d want to touch me—if you felt so inclined.”

“Touch me with your hand?” I verify. 

“Or perhaps my mouth.”

“Your mouth?!” I exclaim, which earns me another honest laugh.

“You are so very new. I don’t dislike it. I could tell you anything, couldn’t I?” Rai says, pulling me up against his chest, and suddenly I don’t trust him very much anymore.

“Would you?” I ask. “Would you make up stuff that isn’t true? Tell me it’s normal?”

“It depends if it serves my purposes.” Rai offers that wicked sexy smile of his. I briefly wonder how many cats he’s taken in with that smile. It’s none of my business—but if I’m about to become one of them, I think of asking. 

“How many cats have you taken in with that smile of yours?” 

“Oh, surely one for every season I’ve had,” Rai says. “So... seven? Plus perhaps two others who struck my fancy. But can I tell you—none have made me feel like you make me feel, Konoe.”

He just said my name. It makes me feel funny—my heart flutters and my body feels weightless, and I know I’m already doomed. I’ll do whatever he likes. 

“Why don’t you wash my hair like the good kitten you are?” He pulls up the shower stool and takes a seat. 

I comply happily and follow with conditioner, rinsing it thoroughly, combing his hair with my claws. I hear him purring contentedly under my hands, and he turns around and kisses me. 

I wash off the rest of his body—surprised to see how low the syrup has dripped—using my hands and soap. I let my fingers and claws run through the white silky fur below his navel—finding I would like to lick it. In fact...

I don’t put any soap there. I drop to my knees in the shower, the water still running over us both, hearing a sharp intake of breath—and I start licking that fur. I can’t help myself. I want to groom it—getting it clean and neat, laying each stand down perfectly. I’m rather compulsive about it. It is having an interesting effect on his body—and my own. I’m _certainly_ right about him not being able to fit inside me, however. 

His cock is slowly but sure changing shape—I mean, I thought he was already aroused, but no—he’s getting bigger and more engorged—and I try not to look, but it’s kind of right in my face. I’m not sure what to do with it—and then I remember he said he would touch me with his mouth. Did he mean... _this_ part? 

It’s so spontaneous—and I’m slightly embarrassed to do it—but I shyly kiss the tip of his dick and get an audible response.

“Oy.” It sounds surprised, pleased, and only a little annoyed, so I continue. 

So then I lick his shaft—from base to tip—before I stuff as much as I can inside my mouth, wrapping my tongue around him to protect him from my teeth. I hear a hiss and another, “Oy, Bakaneko—what do you think you’re d—?” 

But he doesn’t finish his protest, because I press my tongue into the slit when I slowly pull him out of my mouth again. I was cleaning his ears like this and it tickled him, so I’ll try it here, too. His protest ends in a suppressed sigh.

So now what? I'm not exactly sure what to do! So I lick him some more, before putting as much as I can in my mouth, then I bob my head slowly—purring—since he is touching that place in the back of my throat. 

Weirdly—the lewd liquid sounds coming from my mouth are exciting me, and I am not being quiet. I sound like I am enjoying this, too—and I am, strangely, especially when I look up at his face and see his eyes closed in pure ecstasy—I realize _I_ am giving him this pleasure. It excites me! I am hard, my own dick dripping on the floor, longing for a little attention. 

“Oy—this evening was about me touching you—you idiot,” he whispers—and his voice sounds so sexy, so soft and gentle and aroused in the shower. I want to see how far I can take this—and I let the barrier down again—letting his desire flood inside my heart.

It’s overwhelming, but it feels amazing—almost amazing enough for me to come myself. I keep moving my head, keeping one hand on the base of his cock, and the other on his tail, which is soaking wet, but still so silky. I massage him gently—getting firmer when I hear his breath pick up.

Suddenly, I feel something strange inside my heart. I feel like my chest is being torn open—and it _hurts_ —it’s utterly painful. It’s so distracting I nearly bite Rai, who is in my mouth and being pulled out again—but I remember just in time. I keep my jaw relaxed, but my mouth is dripping with pained sounds, and Rai seems to know something is wrong.

But then—whatever it is inside me breaks free. It’s a _song_ —rattling my bones, vibrating my flesh and my skin, ringing in my ears—clear, bright, and frankly, quite beautiful. I can’t believe this is coming from inside me! It vibrates me more than a purr, and I feel Rai stiffen. I feel and can almost hear lyrics—more like sensing the tone of the song than actually hearing them with my ears. Though the song is pouring from my body, I don’t seem to have control over it. And the feeling of the song is indecent!

“Be mine. Give yourself to me. Give yourself over to me. Let me have you—all of you!’

I’m ashamed when I sense the lyrics, my ears blushing hotly, my cheeks following suit, and I open my eyes to look up at Rai, who is staring down at me in shock and... delight? He’s smiling that sexy smile that makes my fur ruffle up. Maybe I don’t need to feel shame if he’s looking so pleased? 

There is a soft light surrounding my body that gets so bright I have to close my eyes. I feel tendrils of light dripping from my fingers, reaching out to the silver cat—and from my mouth and skin—wherever we are connected—and I can feel his thoughts clearly. That desire he was feeling is now laced with surprise, confusion, and delight—true pleasure that is about it take him over.

“Konoe—are you—could you be—?” I hear the question in my ears, but I am still working him with my mouth, pushing him to his limit—and I see his limit clearly in my mind. He’s right there! 

I move both my hands to his tail, stroking the base firmly and gently at the tip, and that’s all he needs to let go. He releases—in my mouth, in the back of my throat—and I swallow that hot fluid, feeling his dick pulse wildly in my mouth. While he keeps his body controlled—his mouth pressed closed tightly, allowing only a soft, purring sigh to escape—in his mind he is not at all controlled. He goes a little crazy, and I like it. 

I lick him gently, my jaw a little sore, my knees a little tired, and my dick hard as a rock. The water from the shower still pours down on us, and he pulls me up into his lap.

“You are amazing,” he whispers softly, running his hands through my wet hair, kissing my lips—I think he must be able to taste that slightly salty taste of himself on my tongue, but it doesn’t stop him from kissing me deeply. He turns off the shower behind him. 

He scoops me up, wraps me in a towel, wraps a towel around his waist, and walks out to his bedroom. He lays me on the bed—and I have never felt more desperate in my life. I wonder if he know this. This frightens me just a little, since I’m not sure I trust him. 

I watch him towel off his hair, and then he pulls the towel from my body quite suddenly. I’m not sure what to do, being so exposed—and all at once and when I am this aroused—and he touches my ears. 

“Perhaps you’re not quite as innocent as I thought. Where did you learn something like that?” I can’t read his tone—but is he angry? 

“Learn it? Oh—it just kind of occurred to me. Why? Was it bad?” I ask, nervously.

“Not at all. You took me by surprise. It was most unexpected and wonderful. Do you mind if I reciprocate?”

“Um—y-you don’t have to,” I say, but his face is already on my belly, and he can tell I am desperate for him.

“I was so tempted by this white fur last night,” he whispers against my skin, but his touch tickles me, and I grab his wrists. He looks up at me, eyebrows lifted. “Ah. The perfect excuse to use my tape.”

“What tape?” I ask nervously. I let go of his hands quickly. 

“For kittens who are unable to sit still, I have something to assist you.”

“N-no!” I don’t want tape stuck to me, but my hands are grabbed.

“It’s _meant_ for this activity,” Rai assures me. “It won’t hurt you. It only sticks to itself.” The large cat kneels over me and binds my wrists together in front of me. “See?” Showing me my hands, there is no adhesive on my skin. He also grabs a piece of black silk from the side table and ties it behind my head, in front of my eyes. Because my hands are bound in front of me, I can’t untie the blindfold. I can’t see anything! Then—I wonder—was that there yesterday? Why does he even _have_ this?

“Why? W-wait! What is this about?” I protest. Did I displease him?

“Hush, now,” Rai’s low commanding voice seeps into my ear, and I feel my body relaxing, despite the questions in my mind. He pushes me into the bed, and the sheets feel silky against my skin.He lifts my hands overhead and kisses me, pressing his entire body against me—the skin to skin contact is intense, making my fur fluff out, and my tail bristles, looking for a place to go. I feel it wrapped in something strong and silky, and still slightly damp—it must be Rai’s own tail.

“This is meant to calm you,” he whispers softly in my ear. “You can relax this way, you see.”

I do feel slightly more relaxed, I have to admit. Better than I would than if he were holding me down—though something about that image makes me ruffle my fur as well. Perhaps I wouldn’t mind that, either.

“Are you feeling it?” Rai asks. “Do you want me to remove them?”

“No,” I breathe. I _want_ him to touch me—and I want him to touch me more! 

“More?” he asks, slightly surprised. 

Oh, gods! Did I say that out loud? And to make it worse, I hear it again, my mouth speaking of its own volition without my permission, my voice echoing in my ears.

“Touch me more.” It’s soft and low, almost hoarse—like his was just moments ago in the shower. 

“I can oblige,” he whispers, and then he doesn’t speak for a while, as his mouth is otherwise occupied. His tongue bathes both my nipples—his lips making loud kissing sounds—which sound vulgar and dirty—and so embarrassing, but the amount of pleasure outweighs the embarrassment by far, and I relax into the touch.

While his mouth is occupied there, his hands move down my sides, my waist, to my hips. And he starts stroking the fur just below my navel. It’s a slow, teasing way to touch me, and I crave more in an instant. 

Then—I feel his tongue—it’s larger and rougher than mine—skate down the center of my chest to my belly, where he grooms my fur, and his hands slip down to my legs—ignoring the part of me currently yearning for the most attention. I would be growing frustrated, except that his touch is making me hotter, making me long for more—and everything sounds and feels and even smells so much more intense with the blindfold on. 

He smells fresh and clean, and I can feel the damp strands of hair traveling across my skin. His hands are soft and strong—but I feel callouses on both, which I recognize from holding a sword. Is he ambidextrous? Does he fight with two swords? The thought thrills me. And then I wonder, what is he doing here—in bed with me?

He stops his teasing for a moment.

“You don’t think I should be here?” 

“Oh gods, I didn’t mean to say that out loud!” I cover my blindfolded face with my hands, feeling my ears heat up. What is wrong with me? Is it him? Being surrounded by his scent that makes me act like this and makes my mouth speak without my permission?

“You are _adorable_ ,” he murmurs, and I startle when something touches my ears. It’s his hand, I think. “Where should I be, then, if not with you?” 

“Well, with someone attractive, for one,” I say—again, noticing my mouth is still talking without my permission.

“You don’t think you fit that bill?” he whispers. “You certainly do for me. Didn’t you notice how I felt in the shower?”

“I-i just think you could do better.” 

Right then, he licks the part of me that has been craving attention—from base to tip—and I moan loudly in response, unable to stop my voice, since I was just talking. I’m so embarrassed of the sound I make! I cover my mouth with my hands.

“Hmph,” Rai hums softly, before repeating the action, and this time, he spends extra time at the tip. His tongue is pressing into me, and I am about to melt into the bed.

I’m almost ashamed that no one has ever touched me like this before, but it feels so good that my body responds on its own, making my voice sound, making my hips move eagerly, and my arms reach out even when I want them in front of my face to suppress the sounds leaking out! 

I hear Rai hum again, and I feel suddenly completely surrounded by a warm wetness—and it makes me cry out loud. I think he must have taken me in his mouth all at once—and all of me fits, it seems. I feel him purring, and when he hums, it vibrates me even more. It’s a strange but lovely feeling—being in the dark, feeling surrounded by this silver cat.

One of his hands is at my hip—pressing it to the bed, so he can move his head instead—the other massaging the base of my tail, his fingers occasionally and ever so casually brushing slightly lower, over my entrance—and that makes the hair stand up all over my body. As good as this feels, it couldn’t possibly feel good if he entered me there, could it? It would have to hurt, wouldn’t it? So why do his fingers feel so mysteriously wonderful when they caress me like that? Why do I have so much sensation there? 

Even aside from that—feeling his tongue and lips on me, his mouth surrounding me, the warm breath from his nose against my fur as he nearly swallows me whole—I hardly know what to do with myself. This doesn’t feel like anything I’ve ever felt before—not even in my wildest dreams, which have been so tame in comparison.

It takes only a short amount of time before I feel myself approaching my limit—and my chest feels weird again. This time, I know it’s a song, and just before it bursts from my body, the pain is much less, but I gasp in surprise anyway. 

The song feels different this time—much less aggressive than before—almost pleading if not submissive. And I can sense lyrics, which I hope he does not understand, but I’m sure he does. It’s as if this song has been torn from my innermost, private self and then plastered on the outside for display. My face and ears flush hotly with embarrassment. 

“Take me, I’m yours. I’ll do anything you want—as long as you keep touching me.” 

The tune is filled with yearning and longing, making me wonder if I too have been lonely. Even behind my blindfold, I can see a change in the light surrounding me. Light must be coming from my body again. Strangely, even though I’m not trying, I can feel Rai’s feelings, too. He desires me, he wants to give me pleasure, he feels like there is nowhere else he’d rather be than here with me—and a thought—“Where have you been all this time?” I don’t understand that thought—it’s like he’s been searching for me. 

If anything, my song spurs Rai on, and he increases suction in his mouth, moves his head slightly faster, grips my tail a little more firmly, and presses my hips down hard against the bed, keeping me from thrusting up into his mouth, like I so much want to do. 

Rushing past the point of no return, I give into my feelings, and I relax my body. My fur bristles and I purr and sigh, and my panting breaths grow louder and louder to a near scream when I climax, shooting my pleasure into Rai’s mouth. It feels so good—tingling into my stomach and my arms and legs, all the way out to my fingers and toes, even the tips of my ears and the tip of my tail. My song softens but continues, as I feel his tongue licking me, his breath close to me, and his hands caressing my tingling skin. The sensation is almost too intense. 

“Irresistible.” 

I hear the word whispered in my ear as my body is pulled close—the bare skin of my back and legs pressed snugly against Rai’s chest. His ears groom me softly, tenderly now, and I feel warm and safe with his arms around me. However, my wrists are still bound in front of me, and I’m still blindfolded.

Has he forgotten? I’m so exhausted I don’t really mind. 

“I may just keep you like this,” he whispers. “Where have you been all this time? Have you always been able to sing like that?”

I can hardly move I’m so tired. But I do my best to respond. 

“I’ve never sung like that before.”

“Konoe, you are a Sanga. I can feel it.” 

Wait—what? A Sanga? That can’t be true. My ears perk up, and I try to turn around, and nothing happens. My muscles don’t respond. I want to see his eyes.

“Are you joking?” I ask.

“I’m totally serious,” he says. “There is power in your song. And let me guess—are you tired now?”

“Um, a little,” I answer, unwilling to let him know exactly how powerless I am. I can’t even move!

“Your song drains your energy. It’s natural. And you sang twice.” 

“Could you hear... words?” I ask. My ears blush when I even think of this. 

There’s a short pause, and I’m gently caressed from the tips of my ears down my back to my tail.

“I could,” Rai whispers—his mouth right at my ear. 

I want to die from shame, but then I feel his lips on my nape. 

“Your feelings are nothing to be ashamed of. It gives me a little insight into you, who can simply invade my feelings whenever you like.”

“I’m not—I don’t—” I start to protest.

His hands suddenly grip my hips quite firmly, making me remember I’m very naked right now. I shut my mouth.

“It’s part of the bond. Surely, you could feel my feelings as well.” 

I could. But still, I didn’t realize.

“Um, what about my blindfold?” I ask softly.

“What about it?” Rai asks, unconcerned, continuing his languid grooming. “You should be closing your eyes and sleeping anyway.”

“And my wrists?” 

“Are they uncomfortable? Because I like you right here, just like this. Why don’t you sleep?”

They aren’t exactly uncomfortable, but the idea that he could do whatever he wanted to me bothers me. And then I feel a sudden touch to the tip of my tail. It feels like he is pinching it between his fingers.

“Oy,” I say. 

“What?” Rai says, and I can _hear_ him smiling, and then my tail is licked and nipped lightly. 

I squirm beneath that touch—that was slightly painful—and I make a hissing sound.

“Do you have a complaint? Then bite me and get away.”  

When I hear those words, I realize he _knows_ how powerless I am, which makes me feel incredibly vulnerable. He knows I can’t turn around and bite him. He probably knows I can’t move!

“Tch,” I click my tongue, and my tail is lightly bitten again. “Ow!”

I hear a small chuckle behind me.

“It seems you may be at my mercy. Perhaps you should do as I suggest and get some sleep,” the words are murmured low in my ear and are followed by a squishing tongue, which sends a rippling shiver down the length of my body. “Huh. You don’t exactly hate it, do you? You are a strange cat.” 

I make another small protesting growl, close my eyes behind the blindfold, and try to resign myself to whatever he has planned. It’s true—I think once I get to sleep, I’ll be fine. I do sleep soundly. But it’s hard to get to sleep with that tongue in my ear.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoe wakes up at Rai’s the next morning—still blindfolded with his hands bound—having to pee. After getting assistance, they go to work. Konoe discovers the wonders of caffeine—and annoys the shit out of his boss and gets into a pissing contest. In fact, Konoe meets a slightly different version of his boss and pokes it with a stick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So—it’s winter, and even I get the blues. I’ve been suffering from a serious case of depression. Sorry for the lack of updates. I usually write more to combat depression, but it’s been so bad I haven’t even been able to write, or, like usual, start a new fic. I apologize for my lack of updates for those of you who depend on it for an uplift—know I’m trying my very best. :) Big smutty hugs to you all. :) especially since tumblr.

I wake in the morning to the smell of coffee, bacon, and eggs. I’m still naked—and I realize I’m still bound and blindfolded when I sit up in bed. I try to find the ends of the tape with my teeth and I can’t, and I have to pee. I call out for help. 

“Oy!” 

I climb out of bed, stumbling a little, trying to move the blindfold a little, but it’s still bound tightly around my head. 

“Oy, Rai!” 

I make it to the doorway of the bedroom, standing there completely exposed—with my fluffed up tail in front of me—my legs almost crossed—and I hear the bacon sizzling.

“Oy!” 

I don’t hear any footsteps at all, but my fur bristles in surprise when I’m suddenly kissed and my ass is caressed. It really startles me—and since I already have to pee—well, let’s just say my muffled sound of surprise indicates my discomfort.

“Please—a little help—it’s rather urgent?” I beg, looking up into what I hope is Rai’s face. 

“You slept well.” His voice is even. 

“Um, please?” I hold out my hands. “I need the restroom. Like now?” 

“Do you?” I feel a claw on my wrist, gently stroking me, and a tongue licking at my ear. It makes me twitch, and the moisture only reminds me of how urgent my needs are becoming.

“You are not helping! Please—or I’m going to pee right here—right now.” 

A deep sigh—almost disappointed—and my hands are unbound and my blindfold is removed. It’s barely light outside, I see. Rai looks at me with amusement.

“I rather liked you like that. You cause so little trouble.” 

I growl softly on my way to bathroom and feel much better after relieving myself. I really have been sleeping well—and my body is relaxed. So much less tense than I’ve felt in a long time. It’s nice. I wash my hands and face—it’s wonderful to have warm water like this. 

“I was planning to feed you breakfast this morning, too,” Rai teases, after I sit down at the table. He looks like he’s in an awfully good mood. His hair is still down over his shoulders—not in his work ponytail yet. He looks just beautiful in the morning light. I even enjoy the coffee—served with plenty of milk and extra sugar. It gives me a lot of energy—right away, I notice. 

The breakfast is delicious, and I help with clean up.

There is snow on the ground on our way to work, and it’s cold, but bundled in Rai’s jacket, it’s not bad. And I brew another pot of coffee once we arrive. It turns out, I _do_ enjoy coffee with enough cream and sugar. It warms me up and I feel so spunky and energetic after drinking it. 

We see several regulars right when we open, but the store is slower than usual, due to the snow. The coffee makes me feel extra talkative, and several customers look at me like I’m a different cat when I ring them up. Rai even comes out of his office to see what the commotion is about.

Keisuke and Akira come in—Keisuke gets a cup of coffee, and I chat away about how much I enjoy coffee—with the right amount of cream and sugar, of course—and Keisuke drinks his black, which I find strange. 

“So, do you like the flavor of black coffee?” I ask. “Or the fact that it warms you up inside? I like that it gives me so much more energy!”

Akira doesn’t say anything—he just watches me, almost judgmentally, I think, but I don’t really worry about that. He’s always quiet, him and his model good looks.

“It certainly does seem to give you more energy,” Keisuke says.

“I could take on the world!” I say, jumping a little and almost spilling the cup of black coffee on the counter. “Oh—that was close! I’m so sorry!” 

“No worries,” Keisuke says. “You’re just very spunky.” 

I ring him up for the coffee and green curry bun, and I forget to give him his change.

“Ah—sorry about that—I don’t know what’s the matter with me!” I smile softly. 

“Really, don’t worry about it,” Keisuke smiles as he and Akira leave. I hear Akira mutter something about me needing to switch to decaf.

“Oy,” I hear a soft warning at my side. I take another sip of my coffee. 

“What?” I look up from my task. “Did I forget something? I’ve been slightly distracted since we got here.” 

“I just saw you forget to give that customer his change,” Rai says—he’s appeared right next to the register—silently, despite my increased vigilance from the coffee.

“Oh, that was just a mishap,” I say, brushing him off and drinking a little more from my mug. It’s so warm and toasty, and it makes me feel so nice. “I’m just fine.” Several more customers come in, and I ring them up, chatting happily. Caffeine makes the morning pass so much faster, I realize. 

But I also forget to give one of the customers her credit card back, and I forget someone else’s change. And I forget to get two of the products I’ve heated up for customers out of the microwave. I am having a truly scatterbrained morning, it seems. It might be because Rai is watching me so closely. He is making me nervous.

“I really think you’ve had enough,” Rai warns me. “You’re being forgetful!” 

“I think you should mind your own business,” I mutter softly, over the top of my mug as I take another sip. But when I make eye contact with him, I see his ears twitching. He definitely heard me, and he is not pleased. But thank gods another customer is here. He is giving me a dark look when he watches me bounce around behind the register when the Meat of Duty bar owner comes in. 

“Ah—it’s great to see you’re open today!” he says. 

“Good morning, master,” I say, and I take a quick glance at Rai when I call this customer master, like he requested. Gods, Rai looks downright _pissed_! “You know, I’ve always been more of a tea person, but I just started drinking coffee this morning, and with enough cream and sugar, it’s delicious!” To my surprise, words keep pouring from my mouth. “On a day like this, when it’s cold outside, nothing beats a cup of hot coffee, right? It’s just perfect for coffee and other warm drinks. I mean, even hot chocolate would be good. I wonder how it would taste to mix hot chocolate with coffee… May I make another kuim parfait for you, sir? Yogurt only, again?”

“Please,” he says, looking slightly confused. “You certainly are energetic this morning.” 

“I just slept very well,” I explain. “Kuims are really healthy for you, you know,” I continue. “Most of their nutrition is in their peel, but lots of people peel them and don’t get the best part. Plus that’s where the sour flavor comes from, so they miss the best flavor, too, that is if you peel them before you eat them.” I take another sip of coffee, glancing at my boss.

“I said you’ve had enough coffee,” Rai says, moving to take my mug.

“No! I’m not finished yet!” I snatch the mug from his reach so he can’t steal it, guzzling the liquid down quickly. He looks at me with a horrified expression.

“Oy—Stop—that’s enough—oy!” 

Slamming the mug down on the counter next to me, I flash him my teeth and get back to making the kuim parfait. Then, I ring up the bar owner, continuing to talk in my chatty tone. 

“Have a nice day—and stay warm out there—it’s supposed to freeze if it isn’t already—make sure you don’t slip on the ice, take care!”

“Oh, well, thank you. It looks like you ought to take care today, too, kitten,” the bar owner says as he leave. 

When I turn back to face Rai, he is not pleased. In fact, that horrified expression has turned into something like anger.

“What? You said I could have all the coffee and tea I wanted!” I complain.

“I did, but I didn’t know it would make you misbehave!” 

“‘ _Misbehave_ ’? I’m not misbehaving!” I retort. 

“You’re bouncing off the walls,” Rai says, the pitch of his voice is dropping, as is the volume. It makes the hair on my nape stand up and ruffles my fur. “You’re forgetting people’s change, forgetting to give them back their credit cards, forgetting to give them what they buy, and being downright disrespectful to me!”

“I am _not_! I just feel like I have extra energy! I like the effects of coffee!” I exclaim. “In fact, I think I will pour myself another cup.”

“Konoe. You have had enough.”

Keeping my eyes glued on his piercing blue gaze and sticking out my lower lip, I turn toward the coffee pot and pour myself another cup. I raise my eyebrows.

“And what are you going to _do_ about it? It’s just coffee!” 

“It’s annoying our customers _and_ me and preventing you from doing your job properly!” Rai barks at me, watching me dump sugar and cream into my mug. “Don’t you _dare_ take another sip!”

“Or _what_? We have customers!” I gesture to the front door, since at that very moment, the door slides open, and the red-haired devil enters. Today, he has a companion with him, who is dressed in black from head to toe, wearing a partial face mask—maybe this is for warmth, but it oddly covers both his eyes. He has lime green hair and he smiles broadly at me, nodding his head in greeting. My head jerks up—probably because of the caffeine I’ve ingested—and I greet them in a friendly if not slightly strained manner. They walk inside, instantly aware Rai and I are having a disagreement. 

“I do not care _who_ is in the store. What I care about is having employees who will mind their boss.” 

“Well. That seems like something you’re going to have to deal with later, _sir_ ,” I growl under my breath. “We have _customers_. If you don’t mind, I’d like to do what you pay me to do.” 

Putting his palm flat on the counter, Rai leaps over the top—in one smooth and easy movement—in fact, as easily as he would if he were taking a seat in a chair—leaving me shocked to find him standing in front of me. I can’t believe how nimble that motion was! He’s a huge cat—he shouldn’t be able to move that quickly and silently. 

“You have some nerve to speak to me in that manner,” he returns my growl, even lower, baring his fangs and keeping his voice calm. “And in my own shop! Don’t you remember who the actual owner of this place is? Why is it that I keep having to remind you?” I feel his hands in my hair. Gods, I wish it didn’t feel so good!

I back up completely against the other side of counter—next to the drink bar, grabbing my mug protectively.

“You can’t tell me one thing and then suddenly change your mind!” I protest.

“Don’t take another sip!” he warns me. That growl makes me shiver, but I still want my coffee. And really, he’d never dare lay hands on me here—not in front of a customer!

I grab my coffee and take another large gulp, burning my mouth as I do so, watching Rai’s eye widen and his pupil narrow to a slit. 

“You little _brat_ ,” Rai steps up even closer to me, forcing me to either look up at his face or stare at his chest, covered in his tight slate blue shirt. He glances over his shoulder at the red devil. “Please excuse us. As you can see, I’m having disciplinary issues with my employee. You don’t mind a short wait, do you?”

“Oh, not at all. Don’t mind us. Do what you need to do,” Razel replies evenly. His green-haired friend smiles in a friendly way, nodding in understanding. 

“Disciplinary issues?” I shout. He can’t possibly think of touching me here!

Rai grabs my shirt and slams my body roughly against the counter, leaning his body over top of mine. My legs are almost too short to touch the floor—though they barely do, on tip-toe, as I’m bent over humiliatingly over the checkout counter. My coffee mug has spilled on the floor, its contents at both our feet.

“Grab the counter with both your hands.” He is asking me to reach overhead to comply, which will make me hang off the edge of the counter. There’s no way I’m going to simply comply!

“No way! You are _crazy_!” I yell. “Don’t you _touch_ me!”

“Grab the counter with both hands, or you’re in for something even worse than just my hand,” he murmurs directly into my ear, which he follows with a lick, making them fluff out and flatten. I feel his hand at my belt, followed by the sound and sensation of him unbuckling it. 

“Stop it!” I try to struggle out of his grip, but it’s hopeless. He is pressing my body firmly against the counter. “Let _go_ of me!”

“This is your last chance. I won’t tell you again. Grab the counter, now. If I have to pin down your hands, that’s _it_.”

Of course, I don’t take the easy way out. I don’t obey—I have too much caffeine in my system to think straight, and part of me doesn’t believe this is actually happening. And several things happen in rapid succession. My jeans are unbuttoned and unzipped, and are pulled down in one yank, trapping my kicking legs against the side of the counter. Now, I can’t move my legs at all.

“Now we’re doing this the hard way,” Rai growls in my ear. I feel a crate—the one I stand on to make the kuim parfaits—shoved underneath my feet. At least my feet have something to stand on, so I’m not just hanging there anymore—but where he puts it makes me arch my back and stick my ass out behind me, which is even more embarrassing, since he has my hands pinned to my back. “Keep your tail out of the way.”  
  
My breath hitches nervously, but being exposed so suddenly—my underwear came down right along with my jeans, and I didn’t notice that right away till a cool breeze shivers against my skin—and in front of customers, too—is _incredibly_ embarrassing. I feel my face and my ears heating up, and I finally and submissively lay my head down on the counter. 

“Please,” I beg quietly. My eyes burn with tears—especially when I realize that this is happening for real. My heart is thumping in my ears, loud and fast. It will not slow for anything, and I try to squirm a little, but of course, I’m going nowhere. “I-I’m sorry. I-i c-can’t d-do this. _Please_. P-please!”

“It’s too late for that,” Rai growls again. He’s pissed, and I’m scared out of my mind. His hand gently cups and then caresses my ass. “We’ve already had this discussion. I warned you this would happen if you needed a reminder. When I tell you to do something, you do it. That’s what it means to work for me. Do you understand?”

“I-I understand!” I beg. “You d-don’t h-have to do this!” 

“But I think I do,” Rai says. “And I have to get it into your head that I mean what I say—you were belligerent toward me in front of customers. You deliberately disobeyed a direct order. What did you think would happen?”

“N-not _this_!” I’m terribly embarrassed—and I feel another breeze caressing my ass softly, maybe from the front door opening and closing—more customers coming in? Shit! Right in front of my face I see the cash register, and there is a customer waiting there—wearing a nicely tailored black suit—is that the red-haired man that Rai called a devil? Is he watching this so closely? I’m about to be spanked in front of an audience? Oh, my gods! I look more closely, and I see a strand of bright red hair on his shoulder. Shit! “P-please, Rai— _please_ —c-can we d-do this later? _Please_!”

I squeeze my eyes closed, a few tears slipping down my cheeks onto the counter, feeling my cheeks heat up, and my ears blush even hotter. 

“I warned you—several times,” Rai says, matter of factly. “I also told you to grab the counter, and you didn’t obey. And now, you’ve earned what you’ve got coming to you.”  
  
“I-i will obey now—I’m s-sorry—I-I’m really s-sorry,” I say, struggling to get my hands from out of his grip.

“No, it’s too late for that. I have something else in mind at this point. It’s too late for repentance.” Rai’s hand stops its caresses for a moment and something else—something smaller and cool and flat touches me. What is that? It feels like plastic. I shiver slightly.

“Wh-what are you going to do?” I ask, my voice soft. 

“No more than you deserve,” he says quietly. “I am sorry it’s come to this.” 

An embarrassing loud smack resounds in my ear before the pain registers. I scream, unconcerned about how loud my voice is, even after the first blow: a sharp stinging sensation rushes through my right cheek and down my leg—and before I can even breathe, another smack rings loud in my ear, making me flatten my ears against my skull. This time, my left cheek burns and stings, and pain rushes into my left leg. 

I can’t move or dodge because of how I am standing—he has me pinned firmly to the counter, my ass presented perfectly in the air—and the next three blows smack me at the sensitive place where my thighs and ass meet—right, left, and center—in rapid succession—and I yell each time. The blows make my ass jiggle—I can feel it—and my skin is burning hot! Tears are flowing from my eyes by this point.

He takes a short break at this point, and his hand briefly strokes my ass—it feels _so_ comforting, just to feel something other than that sharp stinging slap—and I sob quietly when I feel him caressing me. 

“Please—I can’t— _please_ —stop this— _please_ ,” I sob, pressing backward into his hand. But I’m _angry_! I’m _not_ sorry. I’m _pissed_ —angry he’s punishing me here in front of these people—and my ass is on fire!

“I know, you’re doing very well. You’re half-way done. Only five more to go,” he says.

Five _more_?? Oh, gods! No way! I start to struggle again.

“N-no— _please_! I-I c-can’t!” I beg. “ _Please_!” 

“Oh, you can,” he says. “For a moment I thought you were repentant, Konoe.” And his hand disappears again, and I’m pinned down again firmly. I am crying and sobbing even before the first blow. But I’m crying because I’m so ashamed! He spanks me just like before: left cheek, right cheek, then that sensitive place where my butt and thighs meet—left, right and center. I scream with each smack—each one burns with a tingling sensation that runs down my thigh and into my leg, and the blows to my sit spot curl around to the front of my hips. The pain pools heavily there, leaving my skin tingling and tender.

When he is finished, I am sobbing hopelessly, but I have not yet submitted myself to him. However, for my own safety, I am not struggling anymore. What the hell did he spank me with? I can’t _believe_ he just did that! I am furious! I almost don’t want to know, but he sets it on the counter next to my head—and I see a spatula. A plastic _spatula_. Who knew that a spatula would hurt so much? When I see it, I burst into angry tears. 

“Are you going to defy me again?” he asks. His voice is slightly softer.

I don’t know how to answer. My ass feels like it’s on fire—and he isn’t caressing it or touching me. He still has my arms pinned, so I cannot move.

“N-no.” It takes everything I have to say it, but I huff out the word. He releases me, and I stand up and yank up my pants in an instant.

“Ah. It looks like you have some anger on your hands,” Razel says to Rai, his hands resting on his hips. Both he and his companion have been watching me—and this entire display—closely. They _watched_ as my boss just pressed me down over the counter and spanked me with a spatula! I can’t believe it. Even the space in between my thighs is burning. 

“You can’t _treat_ me like this!” I sob, pulling away from him. 

“Konoe, I want you to go into my office, stand in the corner, and face the wall. Wait for me and repent. I will deal with your attitude once I get a chance,” Rai orders. Just who does he think he is? 

I want to escape this current situation, so I scurry out from between Rai and the register, trying not to touch him. I go into his office and slam the door. _Wait_ here till he comes? To do what? Spank me _again_? That’s ridiculous! I am _not_ going to take this shit!

I open the door of the office and sneak out the back—just in time to crash straight into Bardo.

“Oy! Little kitten, what are you doing out here—and without a jacket?” Bardo chides. “Come on, get back inside. You’ll freeze! Rai will have my hide if he knows I saw you freezing out here and didn’t take you back inside.” 

“I’m not working here anymore!” I whimper. 

“What? Why? What’s wrong?” Bardo says, noticing my tear-stained face. 

“A-all I d-did was h-have t-too m-much c-coffee!” I wail, and Bardo folds me into his warm arms. “I’m n-never s-speaking to h-him again!”

“Ah, stop now. It can’t be that bad, can it?” Bardo whispers, stroking my hair. It _can_ be that bad-- _worse_ , even! “What happened?” 

“He got pissed and he—” I try again. “No, he told me not to have anymore coffee, and I wanted more and drank it anyway, and then he—” I swallow. I can’t actually say it. I’m too embarrassed! “Anyway. There were customers standing right there!”

“You defied him in his own store? Kitten, what were you thinking?” Bardo says. “That’s like poking a monster and expecting nothing to come of it. You’re lucky you’re still able to walk. You aren’t repentant yet, so where did he tell you to wait? His office?”

Bardo has moved me back inside. It’s snowing again, and I feel several fat snowflakes melting in my hair.

“No—I don’t want to work for him anymore! He’s crazy!” 

“I think he’s probably just crazy about _you_ ,” Bardo murmurs. “Wait here, like he told you.”

I’m pushed back into Rai’s office, and the door is closed behind me—and I hear the door click. He locked me in here! The old man did! What the hell?! Are they in this together?! Usually, they fight like cats and dogs! 

I pound on the door for a moment—but I give up quickly for a few reasons—one of which is that the worst punishment Rai has ever given me was with the spatula, and the second being how sore my ass still is. He could do something like that again, in front of Bardo. They cannot _make_ me stay here! I _refuse_ to stay here! I’ll escape as soon as I get the chance. In any case, I’m _not_ standing in the corner. I will not “repent of my behavior,” as Rai called it. He can go fuck himself. I’ve had too much caffeine to be able to stand still! I’m pacing the floor when I finally hear the lock click softly and the door opens.

My heart makes a huge leap in my chest when the door opens. It’s weird. As soon as the silver cat’s scent grazes my nose, everything shifts. It’s almost like I _missed_ him. I freeze in my footsteps, my ears tilt toward his direction, and hell, even my body turns toward him. I even think—just for a minute—about rushing toward the corner, to make it look like I was complying with his ridiculous request. 

What is _wrong_ with me? Why do I even care about pleasing him? This entire situation is so damned frustrating! I don’t know what to do!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short update since I kind of left that last chapter open in a bad way.
> 
> Konoe is anxiously waiting in Rai's office, locked in by Bardo, partly angry and very confused about his feelings, for Rai's upcoming "attitude adjustment."

My mind and body are at war with each other right now. I’m angry—my mind is telling me to resist and escape with all my might. I don’t _deserve_ this treatment—I need to just run away. Yet my body is acting strange—it’s doing something unpredictable: responding to the scent of the tall silver cat who just walked into the room and is closing the door behind him.

Instead of drawing claws, baring fangs, and narrowing my pupils to slits—which is the defensive stance I should assuming with this cat who took it upon himself to discipline me publicly with a spatula—when his subtle scent grazes my nose, reminiscent of fresh rain or snow, my pupils blow wide and saliva fills my mouth. My fur fluffs out—but does not bristle in an intimidating way—more in a way that begs to be touched and caressed. My body tries to force its way into the corner, trying to get into the position he ordered me earlier, and my mind is having _none_ of this! I feel so confused, trying to both comply with his command and rebel against it, I don’t know what to do!

“So that very public punishment wasn’t enough, then?” Rai’s low voice caresses the deepest part of my ears, making the tips twitch and my fur ruffle. He doesn't sound angry. His voice is calm and even. “Do you need a private lesson as well? You are _still_ unwilling to obey me?”

“It was j-just c- _coffee_!” I sputter angrily, trying to look up at his face—which is getting closer and closer. He intimidates me when he towers over me. “Th-that w-was _humiliating_!” I try to hide my emotions, but when I even _think_ about what he did out there, and the fact that I will probably see those customers again, my ears burn as hot as my butt and I can barely contain my angry tears.

“I think you had plenty of warning,” Rai says softly, brushing my ears gently. “I am sorry it came to this. However, we had this discussion earlier, didn’t we? You agreed to my terms when you agreed to work for me, or am I mistaken? Along with certain benefits, you have to follow my instructions. I don’t give many instructions, but when I do, I expect you to follow them.” His voice stays very quiet.

“B-but th-that was in fr-front of c- _customers_!” I burst out again, remembering the heated look on the red-haired demon's face as he watched Rai pressing me over the check-out counter. “I w-will h-have to sh-show m-my face to them again!”

“You will have to show _more_ than your face if you won't obey my simple instructions,” Rai says matter-of-factly. My blushing ears flatten against my skull, reminding me once again of my humiliation as he threatens me with another round.

“Is _this_ why you don’t have anyone working for you?” I ask, letting my anger (and my fangs) show. “You can’t keep employees because they won’t tolerate this shit!” 

“Konoe.” Rai takes a deep breath, as though I am trying his patience. “We’ve had this discussion before. When you agreed to work here, I told you I am strict about enforcing the few rules I have. I thought you learned how serious I was about respect your second day here. It certainly looked like you understood. I am not _forcing_ you to work for me. I’d be sad to lose you—I think you’re a wonderful addition to my store and I enjoy your company more than you know. However, if you want to continue working here, you have _got_ to learn to listen to instructions and respect what I say. If you don’t think you can do that, you need to find another job.”

A cold chill runs down my spine. The creepy bar owner pops into my head. I don’t want to work for him. And the red-haired devil—if he _is_ a devil—might help me, but he just saw my boss _spank_ me with a spatula! What the hell might _he_ do to me if I worked for him?

"I know you have it in you to learn, Konoe. I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't believe in you. And I am willing to put up with a mistake now and then, as long as you are willing to deal with the consequences, which you seem to be resisting full force. However, if you don't even want to try, that is your choice."

A shiver goes down my spine, and this is _not_ a chill of fear. I think I really do like Rai, when he isn’t losing his mind about stuff like this, anyway. Is it because his scent is covering me? Have I imprinted on him? Maybe this morning _was_ my fault for drinking too much caffeine. Was I really being annoying? I remember how we spent yesterday evening, the "punishment" for spilling kuim syrup on him was actually quite pleasant: licking the syrup off of his body—how soft his ears and his fur were—the sounds he made when I...

“You seem to be gathering your thoughts. That’s good. But I need to be sure you learn this lesson and learn it well. I have to say I am surprised that public lesson wasn’t enough for you, though,” Rai says thoughtfully. “Bardo says he caught you running out the back door without a jacket, even. And when I came in, you certainly weren’t facing the wall, thinking about your actions, as I told you.”

Somehow I get a bad feeling, a knot in my stomach. Is he still not finished with me?

“I want to be sure this doesn’t happen in the future. When I ask you to do something, you _do_ it. There’s no questioning me about it. This is my store—I am the owner, and you are my employee. Do you have any problems with this arrangement?” 

“Um, no, sir,” I say quietly, after a short delay. I don't want to work anywhere else. I want to stay here. I've made up my mind.

“Then, why don’t you walk over to my desk and open the top right drawer?”

I obey. I open the top right drawer and wait.

“Take out the ruler, please, and place it on the desk.”

Sure enough, there is a wooden twelve-inch ruler in the drawer—which is impeccably neat, not to my surprise. I take it out of the drawer, a little surprised by its heavy weight. Turning it over in my hands and looking at the black numbers and tick marks etched on the edge, I obediently place it on the desk. I close the drawer when I’m done, and my ears start to ring.

“Konoe, I am sorry it’s come to this. I was hoping a public punishment would be enough to get this message across, but you haven’t shown any remorse nor has your attitude changed. If anything, you’ve become _more_ belligerent. Before we begin, let me just give you another choice. You don’t _have_ to work for me. Personally, I think you’re an excellent fit. You’re a great employee who’s having an off-day and needs an attitude adjustment. But if you don’t want to do this, I’m giving you the chance to walk out now.” 

I feel like I might pass out. Is he saying I can go? I mean, I _know_ that. He's not forcing me to stay here. But where would I go? I have nowhere else, nothing else, nobody else—and if I left, I wouldn’t be able to smell that wonderful fresh scent of his anymore, and no one would groom me to sleep at night. He has given me a place—to work, to sleep—and holy shit—whatever it was he did to me last night. I think briefly about the upcoming mating season, wondering if he could maybe help me get through that in a way that would be more tolerable than six months ago, and I realize I can’t... I just _can’t_ leave.

Fat tears spill down my face, dripping onto his impeccably neat desk between my hands.

“I-I’m s-sorry,” I whisper. “P-Please l-let m-me st-stay w-with you. I-I h-have n-nowhere else t-to g-go.”

I’m suddenly scooped up in his warm arms and engulfed by that wonderful scent. And I start sobbing— _uncontrollably_.

“I-I h-haven’t had a h-home in s-so l-long,” I stammer through my sobs. “A-and y-you g-gave m-me a place t-to s-sleep, and you f-fed m-me. P- _please_ d-don’t m-make m-me l-leave!”

“Hush, now,” Rai says soothingly, speaking directly into my ear, running his hands through my hair, down my back and shoulders, catching my tail, which is still lashing nervously. “That’s not what I'm trying to say. I don’t want you to leave, little one. I didn’t mean for it to come across that way. However, I do require your compliance.”

“I am s-so s-sorry,” my chest heaves and I feel like my heart will break. Why was I even mad? I don’t remember—I just know I do not _ever_ wish to be parted from this cat. He smells so nice, so comforting, and he’s licking my ear gently, too.

“While I am glad to see some remorse from you now, I do need to finish this lesson. Will you comply?”

“Y-yes,” I say, lowering my ears guiltily. Rai sighs again softly.

“Good kitten,” and when those words pass my lips, I vow that I will do _anything_ to please him. Afterward, when I think back on this moment, I realize that something in my brain has broken—somehow my body influenced my mind, and the battle it was fighting with itself has been won by my body. “So, why don’t you unbuckle your belt, and lower your pants to your knees? Brace your hands on my desk.”

My ears twitch when I hear his command. He used the word "brace," which I'm sure means I will need to support for something awful. I’m terribly ashamed, but I obey, without much delay. Of course, I _know_ what’s coming. Then it dawns on me he’s probably going to use that ruler, sitting on the desk next to me. The memory of its hefty weight, how thick it was in my hand, how it felt—just in my hands alone—flashes through my mind viscerally, making another shudder zip down my back and into my shoulders, and my fur fluffs out. I'm sure the goosebumps on my flesh are visible, but that can't be helped. I don’t know what to do with my tail, so for now, I let it be, lashing back and forth anxiously.

Rai approaches me silently, and my body flinches when I feel the touch of his hands—one on my ass, caressing me with an open palm, the other on my lower back, just resting softly but ready to hold me in place is necessary. He pulls up my shirt to expose the skin on my lower back, too—making me feel even more naked—and I feel myself blushing furiously. The hand on my butt feels strangely cool, though his hands are usually nice and warm. My butt still hurts from that first spanking.

“Hmm, you are already still quite pink. Why wasn't that first punishment enough? And what am I going to _do_ with you?” The words are murmured more to himself than to me. Fear begins to creep up into my throat—along with my pulse—almost like my heart itself is lifting out of my chest through my throat into my mouth. It makes words spill out uncontrollably and urgently.

“Please—you don’t have to do this,” I plead, unable to keep the absolute desperation from my voice. I have my eyes focused on his desk, and my elbows lock in place, my hands flat. There is nothing on his desk—it’s immaculate—no messy papers, nothing in his inbox or outbox—only a few writing utensils and a stapler arranged neatly in an organizer. Oh, shit—and I almost missed that roll of black tape that I most _definitely_ recognize from last night. Why the hell does he have that in his office? Did he bring it from home? Does he have more than one roll? “Please, I will do better, I promise! _Please_!”

“I know,” Rai says, soothingly. “But isn’t that what you promised last time, too? I think we need to finish this lesson completely for it to sink in, don’t you?” His hand caresses me so softly, so gently—I can hardly think of anything else—I can't imagine those hands, currently caressing me so tenderly, spanking me with that heavy ruler! I don’t want that—not just because I fear pain, but because... I’ve failed. I can't _do_ this! Fresh tears flow, and I wrack my brain.

“M-maybe I c-could do s-something else... for you... to p-prove that I will not d-disobey? Th-that I h-have t-truly repented?” I cannot believe the words that just fell from my own lips. My mouth is betraying me, too! What on earth could I do to appease this cat, at this point?

“Hou?” Rai’s hands freeze—stopping in place right where they are on my body—and I arch my back slightly, my tail curling up reflexively. The hand on my lower back lowers just a little to caress me at the base of my tail, and I purr softly. “Did you have something specific in mind?” His voice is so soft—and so sexy. Perhaps he is open to the idea?

Unlocking my elbows, I lower my torso to the desk a little more, so I can rest my face on my arms. Of course, I know this also has the effect of arching my back and accenting my hips more than they already are. But mostly, I want to crane my head to the side so I can look at Rai’s face. He looks... well, I don’t know how to describe it. I can’t read his expression. His eye is almost dark right now, raking over my body. And his scent is... different. Stronger—much less subtle and so much more delectable. Should I lower the walls on my empathy and try to read what is in his heart? My heart skips a beat. 

“I could, um, _sing_ for you?” I ask—and the words just tumble from my lips. After they come out, I realize I don’t know if I could, in fact, do such a thing. I don't even know why I suggested it if I’m not sure I can do it! 

He lowers his face closer to mine, bringing his body close to me as well, still caressing my butt, still caressing my tail. The hand caressing my butt drops to my thighs, and a small sigh comes out of my mouth. I press my lips closed, trying to prevent any other sounds from leaking out—but I'm too late.

“You would sing for me?” Rai murmurs—no, it wasn’t a murmur. It was hotter than that. It was more like a growl. “Do you know what it means to sing for me?”

“What it means?” I echo, slightly taken aback by his growl. My fur is fluffed out again—not exactly defensively, but his response took me by surprise. Should I not have offered to sing? “I’m s-sorry,” I whisper quietly, casting my eyes down. “Was I wrong to have offered?” I look back up at him—fluttering my eyelashes in what I know must be a somewhat flirty manner. “I thought you liked my song before, which is why I asked.”

It _isn’t_ why I offered. In truth, the words spilled out of my mouth impulsively, partly because I am desperate to get out of another painful spanking. I try not to move my body in any way at all, hoping that by keeping still, I will be ignored, and he will possibly forget that my ass is right there—waiting to be spanked by hand, with a ruler, a spatula, or whatever implement he sees fit or has handy. Although the more I think about it, the less terrible it sounds. If he would be satisfied, shouldn’t I just submit? To please him? I can’t _believe_ I’m thinking this way—it’s weirding me out! Do I want to be touched so much that even a _spanking_ will do? What is _wrong_ with me?

“Oh, I liked it very much,” Rai answers. It takes a moment for me to realize he’s talking about my song and not about spanking me. “I’ve never heard anything like it—nor felt anything like it—but I wondered if it might have been an accident.”

“It was a first for me, but last night I experienced, um, several firsts,” I say, feeling my face burn. "And I sang twice, so that second time couldn't have been an accident, right?"

“I see. Yet, are you confident enough to offer a song? Now?” His tone is hard to read, and I once again regret my suggestion. I don't know the implications of singing for a Touga. Isn't it to support him? Is there more to it than that?

“Um, what _does_ it mean to sing for you?” I ask timidly.

“A Sanga’s song is filled with his power, protection, and feelings. When he sings for his partner—his chosen Touga—he temporarily shares that power, protection, and feelings with him. The cost is energy—you risk fatigue and exhaustion—which is why I wouldn’t _ask_ you to sing.” 

“Well, isn’t the exhaustion because I’m new to singing?” I ask.

“What?” Rai’s cute little ears twitch at the top of his head, questioningly. He looks confused, but his ears make him look so cute.

“Just like when you start anything new, it’s like learning a new skill or training a muscle. Practice makes you better and you get stronger over time. So perhaps the more I practice, the less exhausted I will be?”

A small thoughtful hum comes from the silver cat, and he glances at me.

“Why do you wish to sing for me?” he asks.

“Well, the suggestion kind of came out on its own,” I admit. Then, I look away from his piercing blue gaze. “When I first heard myself say it, I think I suggested it to get out of another, erm, spanking. But honestly, if it would appease you, I wouldn’t really mind one so much—though I would prefer you use your hand instead of a ruler.”

“Oh, _really_?” Rai’s ears perk up—so adorable!—and he has a soft smile on his plush lips, his fangs peeking over just a tiny bit. My gods, no cat should be allowed to be that attractive! “Would you now? And why is _that_?” He asks the question directly into my ear, leaning up over my back and following it with a little lick. 

“Ah—um,” I stutter, momentarily distracted by the tongue in my ear and also the hand that has suddenly cupped my ass. I gasp suddenly. “Oh, um—I think it feels, um, more intimate that way, maybe? The spatula was very painful, but it hurt emotionally, too, because it felt so impersonal. You felt so far away from me. It hurt, um, my heart.”

Rai’s hands freeze in place again for a moment.

“That was quite a confession, kitten,” he says—and the tone of his voice has softened even more. I’m afraid to look at him when he’s speaking this way. He sounds too earnest, and maybe I said too much. “I’ll keep that in mind in the future.” To my surprise, he opens the drawer on my right and puts the ruler away, closing the drawer gently. Did he change his mind? Part of my body starts to relax on its own after seeing that ruler put back in its rightful place.“So, you said at first you thought it was to get out a punishment. But then what? Did something change your mind?”

“Well, I, um, didn’t exactly _decide_ to suggest it. It just kind of came out of my mouth on its own. I think part of me would really _like_ to sing for you.” I finally do meet his gaze, just briefly, flashing my eyes up at him. His gaze is so intense that I only meet it for only a moment. “Is that bad? Is it bad that I want to sing for you?”

“You  _want_ to deepen the bond you have with me?” Rai asks. His face looks even softer—younger, almost—like he can’t believe I’d suggest such a thing.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I ask. Is there some reason I wouldn’t? “You’ve given me a place to stay—a roof over my head, clothes to wear, a place to sleep, food to eat, and I’ve slept more soundly than I can remember the past few nights because of, um, those things and your kindness. I don’t mind the work at all,” I say softly, looking up in his eye again. He is intently staring down at me. “I am very sorry I defied you this morning,” I continue earnestly. “I don’t mean to make excuses, but I’m not usually like that. I can only think it was a result of having had too much caffeine.” I look down guiltily. “I am sorry, and I will not drink it again. I just enjoyed the effects so much, it was warm, and I got carried away.”

“Kitten,” Rai murmurs, stroking my back, slipping his hand under my shirt. “I am tempted to forgive you right now, just for your honest apology.”

I am finding him very hard to read right now. I didn’t think he was _angry_ when he came in, but he was using that low voice he used when he first spanked me the second day I was here then. And now, his changed into something else. I know he is attracted to me, but this doesn’t feel like _just_ sexual attraction—even as attracted to him as I am right now. These thoughts are what tempt me to let down the walls I keep up around my heart. I am so curious about what he is thinking, what he is feeling.

When I do let down the walls—or "open the gates," might be a better metaphor—his feelings come spilling into my chest. I hide my face in arms because they are overwhelming. The first thing I feel is a bright, powerful hope. It has a color—a bright warm yellow, like noon on a bright summer day. It’s so unexpected. Did he think I was going to leave? I don’t really understand the hope—but it comes from a much _younger_ part of this cat—a part who hasn’t been touched in a long time. Does he rearly see me as his  _family_?

The idea that might be the reason he’s invited me to his home, has fed me and taken such good care of me brings tears to my eyes. First, has he always been so lonely? Second, what was his family like that he can't be more direct in asking for what he wants? And finally, does my behavior—his monitoring it so strictly and disciplining me—does _that_ come from his idea of what a family is? Is _that_ what Bardo meant when he told me Rai probably likes me very much?

There’s another feeling that rushes in as well: warmth. It’s got a color—a deep, warm red—and a texture—it’s soft and pliable, flexible like a blanket—and it's got a temperature, of course—it’s very warm. Mixed in with the warmth are strands of tenderness and care—and these appear as threads woven into this deep red blanket—sparkling copper and gold thread shimmer in a wonderful pattern. Though I only opened the gates a little, this feeling wraps around my heart in an instant, holding me tight in a way that reminds me of how Rai sleeps at night. He holds me from behind, but he holds me _tight_. It’s very endearing—as though because he’s behind me perhaps I won’t notice his possessiveness or perceive his desire to touch me as neediness. He also pretty much traps me this way—I can’t move or even go to the bathroom without waking him, so he keeps track of where I am. Maybe this is how he expresses love?

What if this cat has never experienced something like love before? How would he express it? Wouldn’t he be afraid of me leaving him, because I can’t put up with his strict rules—so he is putting them all out there up front? That way I can decide to leave or stay—the sooner I do, the better since it will hurt him less that way. 

Another pang shoots through my heart. Does he really think I will leave him?

Is he disciplining me because he is afraid? I don’t know how I feel about the spankings, really—I know I do _not_ like to be spanked in public or for him to use an implement. But if he uses his hand, and if it soothes him, I will submit. If this makes him feel soothed or calm, if he needs this to make me part of his family, I will gladly submit. In fact, as I remember, I felt a little strange after that initial hand spanking of his. It wasn't all bad. It wasn't all pain. It made my heart ache and melt.

“Rai,” I say, and I lift my head up from my arms to meet his gaze. “Do you—um, well. Do you think it is still, um, necessary to, um, spank me for this morning?”

“Hmm?” Rai hums questioningly, his ears slightly perked up. I think he can’t believe I asked him that. 

“I mean, I know I defied you. I was being very bratty. It may have been a result of the coffee, but if I had listened to you and stopped drinking the coffee when you told me to, the morning would have gone much more smoothly. I have learned my lesson. But, um, is there something you, um, _get_ —you know—some benefit—that I am not aware of—when you spank me?”

“What do you mean?” Rai doesn’t look even half as confused as he did before, so I _know_ he isn’t. I am pretty sure he knows what I mean. Why is he asking? Does he want me to say this out loud? How embarrassing!

“What I mean is, if you get something out of spanking me that I don’t know about—if it soothes you somehow—then, well, I _want_ to soothe you,” I say, keeping my voice very soft and dropping my gaze in embarrassment. “I mean, especially if you won’t use a ruler.”

Rai blinks several times, obviously surprised.

“Are you saying you are _willing_ you to let me spank you?”

“Well, yes, if it helps you,” I say, keeping my eyes on my hands. “I don’t particularly enjoy the pain, however—so it’s not like I _want_ to be spanked.”

“Says the cat bent over my desk with his pants around his knees,” Rai says—again, with a voice _very_ hard to read. I look up, and it seems he is teasing. 

I don’t appreciate the comment, and even though my face and ears are blushing, I find it in me to retort, “I am only here because I trying to be  _compliant!_  I was trying to be obedient! I thought my obedience might _please_ you.”

“Ah, you are trying to _please_ me then?” Rai asks. His hands are stroking me again—my tail and my back. It feels nice, not intrusive at all, but very natural, even despite the fact that I am half naked and we are talking about the fact that I'm exposed.

“Yes. I was hoping we might have a relationship in which you could _tell_ me if I did something that bothers you, and then I would stop. We wouldn’t _require_ discipline sessions. Perhaps we could simply talk instead?” I say. “But I understand you are my boss, and I displeased you with my behavior this morning. I will accept whatever punishment you see fit.” I lower my face back to my hands.

“Hmph. I did try to ask you to stop drinking the coffee,” Rai points out. 

“Well, you kind of _ordered_ me to, _after_ telling me I could have all I wanted,” I reply. “But I don’t think my response was any better. I was in the wrong.”

“You don’t _like_ me giving you orders?” Rai asks. He sounds genuinely surprised. “Because, well, you usually respond quite well to them—as your current position indicates. And your body doesn’t seem to dislike it.”

Is that really true? I don’t know how to respond to that, so I keep my face down, feeling my the tips of my ears fill with heat. I twitch them deliberately to get them to cool down. It's useless.

“How about this? I think we have multiple issues going on right now—this isn't just about the coffee. I will probably be able to tell if you sing for me. If I am right, we can deal with the other issue when we get home tonight.”

“What other issue?” I ask.

“Sing for me first, and then I will let you know,” Rai says, rather mysteriously.

I close my eyes—still exposed and bent over Rai’s desk with my jeans around my knees, but I don’t think about it much, except for concentrating on the feeling of wanting Rai’s hands on my body. Looking deep inside myself, I look for that little flame I found before—a little thread of melody—and my mind wanders, wondering what exactly I want to say in my song. The new melody rises in my chest.

 _Forgive me. Thank you for giving me a place—a home—a roof over my head, and sharing your food, clothes, and your bed with me. I trust you. Do with me what you will. I’m yours._  

The last two sentences are surprises to me—do I really _mean_ that? I must, I suppose, if they came from my heart. And suddenly, I hear that I am singing. The song is gentle, but not particularly quiet, humming from my body, vibrating within my flesh and bones, lighting up my skin almost like static electricity. It's a clear, pure melody, and one I mean from the bottom of my heart. I open my eyes, and the room is bright with a warm white light emitting from my body—tendrils of light spread from my body to Rai, and I hear a soft gasp.  

“Konoe.” It’s whispered with tenderness and warmth—and it feels so good.

Rai doesn’t change how he is touching me at first, but soon he pulls me to my feet. It surprises me, of course, and a small noise of protest comes out from being exposed even more. But he turns me around and presses my body against his, wrapping his arms around me, just as my light envelopes him.

I sigh contentedly, forgetting my clothes are in disarray, and I sing with my entire being. Taking a deep breath, I let the song ring out loud—and I’m surprised at how sexy it sounds. I didn’t think I meant it that way. I only meant he could discipline me as he saw fit, and I would submit for his sake. 

Somehow, though, I know this will be enough.

Soon, I start to lose my energy, and the song starts to fade out, and my knees buckle. Rai catches me easily. He also rather reluctantly pulls up my jeans.

“I think my suspicions were right,” Rai says. “For now, why don’t you get some rest?”

“B-but I’m supposed to be working!” I protest. And right about what?

He lifts up my arm and lets it fall to the side. My energy is completely used up. I’m so exhausted I can't even move my arm.

“Yeah, no. You’re going to lie down and rest till your energy returns, all right?” He gathers me up and brings me to the couch, where he lays me down and curls me up on my side. “Comfortable?”

“Thank you,” I mumble. I am grateful.

He takes his jacket and tucks it around my body tightly—it’s cooler in here than the store—and then tucks my jacket around my legs. My tail is waving around restlessly, and he catches it and licks the tip, making me shiver.

“Oy!” 

“You need to relax and sleep. This silly little tail, too.” He carefully tucks it in around my body, and it stays put happily for a few moments. He leans down and kisses my eyelids, my nose, my cheeks, and my mouth. “I’m sorry I frightened you this morning. Thank you for that song. It really does soothe me.”

“Hmm,” I hum softly. I’m already drifting off to sleep, but Rai hasn’t gone out to mind the store yet. He is busily licking my ears. I don’t mind. It gets me to sleep quickly. My heart is soothed as well.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Konoe wakes after sleeping through his shift, ashamed of his bratty behavior and embarrassed about the public punishment. He helps Rai close the store and they head home to deal with the mating season.

I end up sleeping through the rest of my shift. I wake up, and I’m not feeling quite right when I wake.I feel hot and feverish—and a little nauseated. Did I catch a cold?

Sitting up on the couch, I’m feeling a little confused. I know I had too much coffee this morning—so I wrack my brain about caffeine. I know I’ve felt like this before, but I didn’t think I could get hung over from too much caffeine. So... is this really a fever?

I haul my body up off of the couch, and I wince. I run my fingers over the fabric of my jeans—my ass is _burning_ —I mean, it _really_ hurts—and when I step out into the store, looking for an indication of the time or anyone else’s presence, I remember everything vividly: my defiant, bratty tone, arguing with Rai in front of customers, all the mistakes I made, and then not obeying when he pushed me over the counter. The sound the spatula made when it hit my skin still echoes in my ears, making them twitch and flood with heat. I’m still so ashamed!

It seems the store is closed or is about to close. Rai is cleaning up the coffee and food prep area next to the register.

“Did you sleep well?” His voice is completely normal, as though our interactions are the normal interactions between two cats. I don't know; perhaps it is normal. But I've never been spanked as an adult, nor have I ever seen any adult cat spanked.

“Um, yes, thank you,” I say, but my cheeks are flushed and my ears are hot. Should I apologize again? I feel awkward.

My ears are suddenly brushed by a cool hand. It surprises me, so I look up. Of course, it’s Rai.

“Why don’t you help clean up and take out the trash, and we can get out of here?” He whispers softly in my ear. “You look like you’re suffering. Are you all right?”

Nodding my head vaguely, I comply. I collect the bins from the front and then bring them to the back of the store. Outside is amazingly quiet, and my breath is taken away when I first open the door. The street is covered with a thick layer of white snow, which muffles all sound like a blanket. Looking at it reminds me of Rai’s fur—the pure shimmering white, clean, perfect—and I hesitate to set my foot in it.

But I want to obey, so I carry the trash outside, letting the door close behind me, preventing the indoor heat from escaping. The air is frigid on my face but there is almost no wind. While I quickly empty the trash, I hear a soft voice.

“Ah, so you have finally recovered,” the teasing voice says. It creeps inside my ear like an insect, making my skin crawl. “I was worried what Shironekochan might do to you. You really _defied_ him—and rather publicly, didn’t you, kitty?”

I gasp at the comment and look toward the sound of the voice. It’s coming from above me—and I see a slim figure dressed all in black, floating in the shadows. He appears to float down to the street, and I rub my eyes. His skin is pale—nearly white—and his eyes are covered by a mask.

But my stomach flops over uncomfortably when I see his hair: it’s lime green. This is the red demon’s companion—What was his name? Razel’s companion? He was right there in the store when I humiliated myself this morning. He _watched_ Rai spank me with a spatula. I look away and lower my eyes in shame.

“I’m amazed you can still walk, Konekochan, what with the look the fluffy white kitty was giving you. I thought he might eat you right up!” Those words are spoken directly into my ear, and my arm is grabbed, making me drop both trash bins I’m holding. His touch is colder than ice, and I shiver, and a small nervous sound escapes my mouth. This green-haired person pulls me up close to him—close enough so I should be able to see the mist from his breath, but he is making none. He is breathing, but no puffs of air escape, meaning the breath from his mouth might be as cold as it is out here. It’s eerie!

“Let go,” I murmur.

“But I was just so _tempted_ by your gorgeous display this morning. I’ve been waiting for you _all_ day, Konekochan. And I’d like to offer my services.”

I don’t even know who this guy is, but he buries his nose in my hair, and I hear him pull in a deep breath as if he is smelling me.

“Who are you, even? What do you want?” I start to struggle, but I still feel feverish and weak. Regardless, I don’t think I deserve to be treated this way. It feels disgusting!

“Ah—did I forget to introduce myself? Perhaps you were slightly distracted when I was in the shop earlier—displayed so _deliciously_ on the counter.” I feel a freakishly gentle caress on my backside, and it makes my fur fluff out defensively. “I’m Froud, the devil of joy. I’m an old acquaintance of your boss—or rather, he has quite the reputation. I was just checking up on him since his killing spree has deteriorated since coming to this gods-forsaken place.”

Reflexively, I look up at the demon.

“You know Rai?” 

“I know him well enough to detect his scent _all_ over you, little kitty. I’m surprised—he seems rather attached to you, and that cat doesn’t usually attach himself to things that are unnecessary.”

 _Unnecessary_? Is he talking about me? My ears and tail droop.

“Ah—don’t look so wounded. I can _help_ you. I have been waiting out here in the cold to _help_ you.”

“H-help me how?” I ask, still wary—and even more now that he refuses to release my arm.

“I was thinking I might train you—as a special service for the white kitty. He is particularly important to me, after all.”

“Train me? Train me for what tasks? I do what I’m supposed to do here.” I think I’m doing pretty well. I mean, I did just start, but I’m doing pretty well at all my assigned tasks, as long as I limit the caffeine.

“Oh—certainly _not_ what you’re thinking. I saw that you aren’t very good at pleasing Shironekochan this morning when you openly defied him. I, um, _heard_ it. It sounded quite painful.” His voice takes on a slightly seductive tone—teasing, almost—and it creeps me out. He’s talking about that spanking now—right to my face! “I thought I could help you learn to be more obedient and submissive. It’s what he desires.”

“I don’t need your help,” I say flatly, lowering my face in shame.

“Ah, are you sure? But I _want_ to help you.” He’s pulled me close, his tone perking up and delighted, and he is still gripping my arm. He strokes my ass with the other hand—pinching it slightly, which hurts way more than it should. “Does it still hurt, kitten? You seem to be limping a little.”

“Don’t _touch_ me!” I yell, bristling, trying to pull away. His fingers feel like ice around my arm.

“Hush, you don’t want him to come out here and let him see you throwing yourself at me, do you? Not in the state you’re in right now.”

“I’m not _throwing_ myself at you!” Him saying phrases like that is confusing, but I know he is trying to trick me. I continue struggling, trying to escape his grip, trying to get out of his grasp, but I can’t even loosen it. “Let _go_ of me! Get your hands _off_ of me!”

Just then, the door opens, and the silver cat sees me struggling with the green-haired devil. The look on Rai’s face changes—from calm to absolute fury. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a cat angrier than him!

“Get away from him!” Rai growls, low and deep—his voice echoing harshly across the walls in the alley. It sounds strangely pleasant rumbling in my ears, though—especially slightly muffled from the snow. “Get your hands off of him, now!”

“Oya, Shironekochan, relax! I was just offering my services.”

“It’s obvious he isn’t interested,” Rai replies, and his arm leans in towards the door. To my utter shock, he pulls out a _longsword_ as big as me from inside the building, from just around the door, and removes it from its scabbard. He draws his claws on his left hand and bares his fangs—sharp and long—and his fur bristles. “Release him.”

Shivering at the sight of my silver cat, Froud puts a hand to his hips.

“All I was doing, if you would just _listen_ , was offering him advice and further training—all to please _you_. It’s obvious you’re wasting your time with him—at least as he is now. You want a more _submissive_ and _compliant_ servant, don’t you?”

My chest is stabbed with pain at those words—even though I know Froud is a devil and is trying to hurt me. But what does he mean? What if Rai really does want me to be more submissive?

“He’s _mine_ —er, my _employee_ ,” Rai stammers for a second, flashing his eyes to me. “You will release him now or you won’t live to see the sunrise.”

I’m pushed away from Froud violently, toward Rai and that sharp sword, but Rai easily catches me in his left arm, lowering his sword in a movement faster than my eyes can process.

“Since when have you _ever_ been interested in things like this?” Froud mutters and he floats away, back onto the roof.

Relieved that the devil is gone, I’m afraid Rai is angry with me—and my ears are flat—but his voice shows concern when he asks if I’m hurt.

“I-I’m fine. Just a little embarrassed. He caught me by surprise.”

“I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have had you take out the trash in your state.”

Again—what _state_ is this? How does he know I’m feeling ill? Do I look that bad? His claws run through my hair and the fur of my ears, and I’m pulled back inside.

“Do me a quick favor and put the mop away, will you?”

Rai locks the back door, and I hear him jangling the keys to check the front door as well, leaving us alone inside the store. It’s oddly quiet. I obey, noticing it smells nice in the storage closet. In fact—I’m still in the closet when Rai comes back from the front door and wraps his arms around my waist.

The casual, gentle touch feels so welcome since my punishment. My ass is still sore, and I feel terrible for what happened. But I want him to put his hands on me. I feel his hot breath at my nape. It feels nice, and I think Rai is purring. I feel a soft, damp touch on the side of my neck—his tongue and lips—and he hums again.

“You smell so good,” he murmurs, and that makes me tremble in anticipation. “Sweet like honey—I almost taste your scent today.”

He moves his mouth up to my ear and licks the tip, nipping it softly between his teeth. The graze of his fangs against the sensitive skin of my ear feels weirdly hot and strange today. I’m gently pushed up against a storage box in the closet, Rai still standing behind me, while he continues licking my ears. This is definitely _not_ grooming—this is something hotter and almost desperate—and forceful enough so I have to brace myself against those boxes. But as his tongue squelches around and squishes loudly in my ear, I realize I’m not shielding myself or protecting myself as I usually do. Instead, I seem to be offering my ears to him, even despite the almost unbearable ticklish sensation. And I’m purring, too.

His hands are holding me tight against his body, fingers spread wide against my chest, and one hand slips under the front of my shirt, stroking the fur just above my waistband. It makes me shiver—his hands feel oddly cold against my burning skin.

“Mmm. We’d better get you back to the apartment. Seems today has arrived a little early.”

He pulls me toward the office and helps me with the coat, pulling up the hood and adjusting my scarf.

“Come on, then,” he says, and while his voice sounds normal now, his tail is swishing back and forth in an almost pushy manner. It’s very unlike him.

It’s cold outside as we make our way toward Rai’s apartment, and I shiver. He puts an arm around my shoulder as we walk and pulls me in close to share his warmth. I feel his fluffy tail twine itself around mine—and his tail is longer than mine in addition to being warm and soft. He slows his steps as well, making an allowance for my shorter stride.

I notice his scent is much stronger than usual, too—perhaps accented by the freshly fallen snow. When Toshima looks like this, it reminds me of Sisa, and a slight sense of nostalgia floods my heart. But then, I glance up at the silver cat standing next to me and I realize I have a new home here with him. He smiles down at me.

“Why are you smiling?” Rai purrs softly.

“Mmm, no reason,” I reply. “It’s just, well, the snow reminds me of home, and I had a little bit of homesickness. But then, I realized I have a new home now.”

Though he is facing forward, I don’t miss the somewhat self-satisfied smirk on Rai’s face.

“Let’s get you home before you freeze to death,” he says quietly. 

When we reach the highrise, Rai guides me into the elevator and he kisses me roughly even before the doors close. The force behind the kiss feels desperate—and it takes me off guard, though it’s welcome. I’ve missed his teasing today, and I remember this morning—waking up in his bed, my hands bound behind me and blindfolded. Even the memory heats me up and my body starts to sweat, in spite of the snowflakes melting in my hair, and it makes me want to return his kiss passionately.

To my surprise, Rai tastes different. His mouth and tongue are sweeter than usual. It’s a lovely feeling, too, making me bristle my fur, and I untangle my tail from his only to stroke it again with my own, wrapping my tail tightly around his once more.

“Hmm—such a shameless public display from you,” Rai whispers against my mouth, smiling softly, combing his claws through my hair. “Finally, it seems you are getting the hang of your training.”

“Training?” I reply, my ears flattening slightly. I can’t help thinking of Froud’s words. Does he find me too assertive? Not submissive enough?

“Yes—that was the _real_ purpose of my research yesterday,” Rai smiles down at me. “Getting you to respond to me… like this.”

“Hmph,” I huff. But I did miss all his teasing yesterday.

We’ve arrived on his floor and he rushes me toward his apartment, eager to get me inside. He strips off his coat and shoes and helps peel me out of mine.

“I think you may need some care before we do anything else,” he says, pulling me into the bedroom. “Come.”

I’m standing in front of the bed and he strips off my shirt—both layers—overhead. Then his hands move to the buckle on my belt, which he removes before getting to work on my jeans. They are slightly damp, which makes them harder to remove—but he is very gentle—he is keenly aware of how sore my skin still is.

“I’m sorry,” Rai whispers, as he carefully lowers me to the bed on my back. “I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I think I overreacted this morning. I lost my temper—and I should never discipline you when I’m angry.”

“It’s all right,” I say as I run my trembling fingers through his hair. He smells so good! “I was being unreasonable, unmanageable, and, um, very bratty.” I lower my gaze when that blue eye pierces me. “I’m sorry.”

“You are _too_ adorable, even when you are bratty,” Rai says. “May I try to make up for my mistake with some care?”

“Um, all right,” I say—and I’m not as cautious as I should be. I probably should have asked exactly what he meant by “care,” but it’s a little late now. Growling low, he pushes me face down onto the mattress.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poor kitties! I can't believe it's been so long since I updated this fun little fiction.
> 
> It's the mating season at the Convenience Store. Konoe has had a very bad day--he was getting on his boss' last nerve (there was the incident with the spatula, for example)--and Rai makes it up to him.
> 
> There is mostly consensual sex in this chapter.

A little care… isn’t that what he said?

I’m sure that is what his words were. But I’m naked, facedown on the bed—the lights are turned down low on in the bedroom, and if I look up, I can see out of the window into the lights of the city. It’s dusted with snow. But that’s only if I lift my head. And I can’t do that at the moment. 

Because at the moment, I’m being aggressively “cared for,” apparently. Which means I’m being licked. The welts from the spatula this afternoon are being meticulously licked. And he’s a lot louder than he usually is, as well—purring, humming, sighing—his voice coming from behind my back, below my waist—sending shivers all over my skin.

At first, I tried to struggle out of his grip, but I’m unable to do so. He’s much more powerful than I am, so I have temporarily submitted—at least till I get my breath back. He has talked me into submission, it seems.

“What do Ribika do when they hurt themselves? Don’t they lick their wounds? It makes sense. But you can’t reach this area yourself. So relax and let me do it for you.” Rai's voice is breathless—and my gods, so fucking hot.

Those words—and me, completely running out of steam—are what convince me to finally submit.

Until I feel something slightly more intrusive than his tongue against the welts on my backside. He’s suddenly doing something other than wound care, I think. I feel his hands slipping between my thighs and stroking the sensitive skin between my legs—and I don’t think he caught me there with the spatula. His tongue sends an electric sensation through my body that bristles my fur. I try squeezing my thighs together and that doesn’t work, because I find I rather like the feeling. A small sound—a meow—escapes my lips. I feel his lips curve into a smile at my response and he repeats the motion. His hand wraps around my hip, and I stiffen my body, and that doesn’t help, either. 

“Rai… what are you—?”

I’m already aroused from rubbing myself against the bed, and now, his hand grasps me. I feel each finger wrapping around my dick, and his thumb presses into the tip. Another small (and embarrassingly desperate) meow comes out of my mouth—which I mean to be a protest, but it doesn’t sound like I’m trying to resist very much. 

His other hand slips between my cheeks and spreads them apart. I cringe slightly—feeling myself blush. He can’t be doing this! But I feel him purring and humming and my gods! Is that his tongue back there?!  
  
“Ah! I—uh—I don’t n-need y-your c-care—uh—back there…” 

I try pleading with him when I feel his nose, mouth, and lips—plush lips—brushing against my sensitive skin—and the feeling makes me squirm—but I’m confused as to whether I’m more embarrassed or delighted with the sensation. My belly flutters and my core ignites in an inferno of lust when he slides a finger inside next his tongue.

A mewling gasp escapes my mouth— _another_ meow! How embarrassing! And I am clawing at the sheets, trying to turn over—but I’m spent from my earlier protesting, I’m filled with confusion and desire, so I just relax because the touch feels so good—and that hand on my cock feels so nice. I feel like I am melting into the mattress.

My body trembles underneath the touch of his tongue and fingers at the same rate of his thick and heavy purr. I don’t understand what is wrong with my body. Shouldn’t it hurt to have something pushing into me? I never stimulate myself inside like that—and yet—the more he touches and the more he strokes—and the moment a second finger is added—the more I quiver with delight, pleasure rushing up my spine and down my tail. I hear the slurping of his mouth as he removes his tongue—yet another cringe-worthy moment—but he scissors his fingers apart and I meow again, directly into the pillow, lifting my hips up off the bed lewdly. 

I want him to fuck me so much—I want to feel his cock _inside_ me. I feel so strange—like an animal—he has turned me into some sort of beast!

I feel his palm against my ass—and it reminds me of the spanking at the store—I imagine him stripping off my pants and underwear and entering me while bending me over that counter—and my mind feels like it might explode. My stomach cramps with pure pleasure, I struggle to catch my breath, and I hear someone begging and pleading desperately.

Twitching my ears, it’s a strange sound—it sounds like music, almost—it’s not a bad sound, but then I get a little spooked because it doesn’t sound like Rai’s voice. Is someone else in here with us? Are the walls of the apartment that thin? And then I realize it _isn’t_ Rai who is begging. I flick my tail and bristle my fur nervously and twitch my ears again. When I lick my lips and the sound stops for a moment, I notice my mouth is really dry. Only then does it dawn on me that that soft, pleading, sighing voice is _me_. Even as it starts again— _please, please, please_ —punctuated by the occasional meow—I can’t help myself.

Tears blur my vision and I feel a little sick.

“Please!” I ask more desperately. “Don’t tease me!”

“Kitten,” a husky voice answers me—a sound that makes me bristle my fur. Rai’s voice is low and filled with desire—it sounds so sexy I don’t want to contain myself. “You need to be patient. I don’t want to hurt you.”

My hips jerk up, all on their own.

“I can’t— _please_!” I beg—and I don’t know how I got so desperate. I feel hot and sweaty I don’t know what to do.

My body is roughly turned over, pulled down toward him on the mattress while he stands at the edge of the bed, and I come face to face with my tormenter. I throw my arms around his neck and nip his lips and chin, then bite his neck, and as he reaches out to grab something from the side table, I bite his ear—hard. 

“Ouch—you brat!” His rebuke is gentle and sweet, however—not unkind. I follow the bite with several wet licks—I am so very desperate—and I feel something terribly cold painted across my entrance, and it makes my body shake.

“Ah! Cold!”

I hear another slick sound and Rai looks down at me—I think he is applying something to himself, and then more cold stuff is inserted inside of me, making me shudder.

“Deal with it,” he orders roughly, and my legs are bent at the knee, pushed up against my chest. “Relax and breathe.”

He meets my gaze with a heated look and I feel something hot slowly pressing against me—and then _inside_ of me—it’s incredibly large, though—it’s not going to fit—and I realize what is happening and I start to panic.

“W-wait,” I stutter. 

“It’s all right. Relax and breathe,” he repeats his order—and the passionate look in his eye makes me absolutely _melt_. It also breaks down the wall of empathy that I strive to keep up and that glacier of feeling that I expect to feel _isn’t_ a glacier today. It’s a torrent of hot lava, overrunning my own emotions, my own desire and mixing with my feelings—and I am completely overwhelmed. I feel taken and desired, loved and wanted. Warm feelings, hot feelings, passionate feelings, dirty feelings—feelings I don’t even recognize flow into me from every direction—as if invading every orifice and all my senses. Rai takes that moment to lean down to kiss my lips, and stroke the base of my tail and my cock at the same time.

I hardly even feel like myself—but the feelings I am experiencing do feel like my own. This is the first time I am experiencing the heat and rut with another cat, and it’s a little frightening. But the silver cat isn’t afraid. He knows I am afraid, stroking my fur comfortingly, watching me, and he keeps thinking, “Relax, breathe. It’s all right. You won’t lose yourself. I promise. I’m here.”

My body is still trembling, but it feels so good—I feel impossibly full and tight with him advancing inside me—and I try not to think too much about that—but I’m sharing my body with him—I’m actually _sharing_ my body with that silver cat, and I want to be here. I take a deep breath and he shivers.

“Can you feel that?” I ask in a whisper. 

“Mmm,” he replies, a soft smile on his face. “Are you all right? It shouldn’t hurt.”

“It doesn’t,” I agree—and he should be aware of this since between the words I am able to form leak out vulgar, indulgent gasps and cries I’m unable to hold back. My entire body is coated in a fine layer of sweat—and so is his. I see he is trembling slightly as well, and it is arousing that a cat as simple as me might have such an effect on him. It makes my heart race erratically and my heart turn over in my chest.

Soon, I  feel his thighs resting against my ass—his feet are on the floor and he has remained standing, but I want to feel more of him. 

“Touch me—more,” I plead, tears dripping from my eyes. “Please!”

He moves my legs—curling both around his waist, and he rocks his hips forward, pushing me back up against the mattress, and soon, he is kneeling on the bed, over me, with my legs wrapped around his waist. My tail is looking for his, entwining itself around his leg at first, till he brushes it with his own tail, running his fingers through my fur. His hair is dripping on my chest like molten silver—and he is gorgeous. 

He touches my face and leans down to kiss my ears and then my mouth—and I feel an upward thrust of his hips that nearly takes my breath away. I gasp in surprise and pleasure—sparks flash on the backs of my eyes and with each successive thrust, vulgar sounds escape my lips, even as he kisses me.

“You are so gorgeous,” he whispers against my mouth.

I realize I am feeling something different each time Rai thrusts up toward a particular spot in my body—it’s a strange, sinking feeling—and a secret, almost nauseating pleasure that threatens to make me lose my mind.

He looks down at me sharply when he notices my wheezing gasps, and I return his look somewhat desperately.

“Please—Rai—I can’t—” 

And I’m shown those long, beautiful fangs, which I lean up to lick—in between my desperate gasps. And then that strange feeling inside my chest breaks open once more—in song. I have never felt so utterly taken—not by anyone. I am at Rai’s mercy, and I crave relief and release—and I want him to defeat me. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else—and this is the song that comes bursting from my body in a warm glow of light and captures his in a golden halo.

It lights up my blushing face—and it’s loud—but not loud enough to cover my gasping cries. He is watching me come completely undone under his touch—submitting to him—and it’s almost too much.

I try to lift my arm up over my face and turn away. I’m ashamed to be seen in such a state—and he stops me. 

“Don’t try to hide,” he murmurs in that soft sexy voice. “Show me everything, Konoe.”

My ears prickle when I hear him say my name. I have to look at him—I am compelled to obey when he speaks in that voice—when he calls my name in that tone.

“Submit everything to me, and let me take care of you.”

It feels so nice to have him call my name—and I am so close—that I too want to share the experience. So I say the word that has been on my mind during this entire encounter—and it slips from my tongue along with a small meow.

“Raiiiiii…”

And my song reaches a crescendo—I feel all the pleasure and pain that have been building up today, all the forgiveness I have for him, all my fears and anxiety—everything—spills forth in this climax, and it is _good._ Pleasure rushes from the core of my body and spills from my cock in between our stomachs. Indulgence reaches the tips of my toes and fingers, shooting down my tail and into the tips of my pink ears. Even my nose feels numb.

And I might have accidentally drawn claws against Rai’s unprotected back as I release—and I feel my insides clenching around him—and I hear him sigh and stutter. His thrusts slow down to several last firm motions, and he gently collapses on top of me in the bed. 

He smells so nice—my nose buried in his hair and at his neck—and I groom him—licking him gently, trying to reach his ears. He is quiet and slow for a moment—relaxed—like a different cat—almost helpless. He gives me access to his ears, allowing me to groom them for just a little while before he gets up to grab a glass of water. He pulls me up to sit.

“Drink.”

I am very thirsty, and I comply.

“Thank you.”

I am powerless—nearly paralyzed now—as he lays me back on the bed, gently as though I am something precious. He wipes me down with a towel but doesn’t fuss. Instead, he simply crawls in bed next to me and pulls me to his chest. I turn my head to the side so I can breathe and let him groom my ears. I can hear the slow and steady (and comforting) rhythm of his heartbeat.

I fall asleep just like that, listening to his heart and feeling the soft gentle grooming of my ears.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick dirty update to this little fic.
> 
> Rai makes a slight miscalculation when he drags Konoe to work with him the next day. It turns out, no, he cannot wait to get home to take advantage of the mating season.
> 
> This chapter is pretty consensual--but there's some slight angst and non-con touching before that part.

I sleep the night better than I have in ages. When I wake, Rai is already out of bed, and I can hear him in the kitchen. I feel incredibly hot—feverish almost. My head feels weird and heavy when I sit up. I am _incredibly_ sore—right underneath my tail where he entered me last night. Plus my legs and ass are really sore, too. 

My memory of last night—the sounds I made, the touch of his hands and his tongue (and oh my god he licked me there!?), and how incredibly indulgent the experience was. I feel my ears heating up, blood flowing into their tips and into my cheeks.

Yet, I have to get up. It’s Sunday—and tomorrow is my day off. I had no idea how sore I would be! If I'd used better judgment, perhaps I would have gone a little easier. I manage to tumble out of bed, and Rai looks up at me from the stove.

“Sleeping beauty awakes... Oy, what’s the matter with you?”

He steps a little closer to my body and another wave of heat crashes through me, making me think I might be sick. And also, extreme embarrassment.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” His fur bristles a little as he gets closer, too. He looks at me sideways. “Are you ill?” 

“Um, I don’t know,” I start—and I clutch my chest when he touches my ears. 

“Your chest hurts?”

“When I breathe.”

“Perhaps I shouldn’t have let you sleep so late,” Rai murmurs cryptically. “Follow me.” He pulls me into the bathroom and turns on the shower, pushing me under it immediately.

“Hey—Wait!” I protest strongly. He didn’t even get me chance to strip out of my clothes, but I realize I am not wearing even a stitch of clothing. I feel my ears flood with heat at the realization that I exposed myself to him, I got out of bed not even realizing I was naked, and my blush deepens and flows to my chest. I’m so ashamed! I just walked out to breakfast _completely_ naked and I didn’t realize it!

“The water should help you—but you look even hotter now. Is the temperature too hot?”

It isn’t, actually. The water coursing over my body is warm, and it feels cool against my skin. I hide my face, unable to meet his gaze.

“Are you in pain? Talk to me, Konoe,” Rai sounds so strangely worried.

“N-no, I’m starting to feel better.” 

“But your face and ears are all red!” 

“That has nothing to do with this!” I move around a little in the shower, limping a little. Of course, he notices.

“Ah. I see. You are sore,” he smirks at me through the glass door. “Next time, I’ll have to soak you in the bath afterward, but you were so tired last night. You really indulged.”

I'm too ashamed to reply, and he clarifies as though I need clarification, “From your song. And from the sex.”

Now, I do turn to face him, angrily. My face is hot from something other than the water. 

“You’re so cute.”

I bite my tongue to keep from saying anything I may regret. This is still my boss, and my gods, I have to work with him today!

“I’ll get your clothes for you,” he says. “Turn down the water till it feels lukewarm. It will help you get through the day.”

Mortified, I turn back toward the tile and start shampooing and conditioning my hair. I make quick work of it, though, since it’s late. 

After getting dressed, I limp out to the kitchen and wince when I sit down in the chair. I’m sure I here a small chuckle leak from across the table. 

“What?” I ask.

“Nothing. I didn’t say anything.”

Oatmeal this morning—with fresh cream and fresh kuim, as well as some nuts—it makes me feel wonderfully full and tired. 

“We should get going,” Rai says. “Toshima got a lot of snow last night.”

I wish I had a pair of boots as I trudge through the snow behind Rai. Also, with every step,  my hips and ass ache, and I think about exactly what we did last night—I can’t help but be reminded.

“Ugh, your shoes are soaked. Here, slip them off till they dry,” Rai says. He lays my wet socks on top of the radiator in the office and gives me a new pair.

After I put them on, I see he’s brought a tall stool up to the counter. For me?

“You look tired. And I don’t like that limp. Sit here today, and keep off your feet as much as you can,” he says—and he almost sounds contrite.

“Thank you,” I say. I really am grateful for his thoughtfulness.

“Don’t. I only did it so I won’t have to keep being reminded of how your voice sounded last night—every step you take, I hear it echoing in my ears.” 

He unlocks the front door, and I am even more embarrassed. I do have to climb down from the stool to fetch "Master's" coffee and kuim parfait. And to my chagrin, he makes a comment.

“Ah, little kitty. Are you a little sore today? Poor little thing.” His voice sounds repulsive, but he’s a customer. As usual, he reaches out to stroke my tail, which I am prepared for today. Then he lowers his voice and continues, “If you were mine, I’d make sure to give to the utmost TLC as after play.”

Again, my face fills with heat and I feel my fangs bare. 

“What? Don’t look at me with that face, kitten. You may bite off more than you can chew with those cute little fangs of yours.”

“Here’s your change. Have a nice day,” I growl. It’s annoying.

I sit back down and ring up the rest of our customers. I notice—as I’m sitting here—that I have a distinctly different scent about me today—most likely from Rai’s soap and shampoo. It gives me the urge to groom myself, and I don’t bother resisting it.

I start with my arms and hands while I’m sitting at the counter. It’s relaxing, so I find myself purring softly. I run my claws through the fur on my ears, too—but I feel slightly hesitant to groom away Rai’s scent. It makes me feel nice. I’ve finished my second ear, taking my time and really enjoying the feeling of it and have started my tail when I feel someone watching me. I have the tip of my tail in my mouth and look up. Not ten feet from the counter, Rai is resting his chin on his hands, which are holding the end of the mop, leaning against it and watching me closely.

Becoming very flustered, I stop what I am doing.

“What?” I ask. I suddenly wonder if he has a "thing" about grooming in public. It worries me, because I sure wouldn't be able to take any sort of discipline today.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“Um, would you like a cup of coffee? I checked and everything looks in order. We’re just having a little lull right now.”

“I’m fine. Thanks.” But he doesn’t look fine. That pale blue eye is sparkling with interest bordering on hunger. My fur starts to bristle reflexively. “You’re so cute with your fur all fluffed up.”

I look down, embarrassed. I was only grooming myself. It’s not like I was doing some inappropriate at work or anything of that sort. So why am I so self-conscious?

I hear a soft swishing sound while I am looking down at my tail, and Rai has leapt over the counter, hovering over me. He’s close enough so I feel his body temperature. He feels hot. And he smells so nice. It makes me mouth water. I’m afraid I might drool, so I continue licking my tail, combing my claws through it.

“Are you trying to rid yourself of my scent?” He whispers into my ear, and a little shiver rushes down my spine.

“N-no. Of course not,” I reply softly, now incredibly distracted by his proximity.

“Then, you won’t mind if I help?” He doesn’t wait for an answer and licks my ear, biting the tip of it between his teeth just lightly.

However, he doesn’t just stick to my ears. He grabs my tail from my hands and starts grooming it—concentrating on the hooked tip. He licks the fur again and again, running both his hands along my tail, one hand toward the end and the other close to the base. I feel like I might be melting, and the core of my body heats up even more.

The door swings open and the red-haired devil enters. He pauses for a moment, watching Rai attend to my tail, and I am incredibly embarrassed. The demon’s clear blue eyes shift up toward the top of my head—he must be looking at my blushing ears. And he smiles—almost knowingly.

“Rai,” I whisper, trying to get him to stop. But he ignores me.

“Rai,” I repeat, “this is not acceptable behavior for in front of customers.”  
  
“Oh?” He murmurs, not stopping his touch or grooming. “And _you_ are the expert of what is appropriate in front of customers?”  
  
When he says this, the hand at the base of my tail suddenly moves in closer to my body, flattening out and cupping my ass. He’s reminding me of what he did to me—right here, yesterday—in front of this very devil!

Embarrassing rage seethes within me—but at the same time, blood flows into my waist. It’s almost as though I’m remembering that punishment at the counter with pleasure! What is wrong with me?  
  
I gasp quietly. 

“I can do whatever I want to you, can’t I?” Rai whispers directly into my ear. “And to be honest, what I really want to do is bend you over this counter, strip off these painted on jeans, and make love to this little body till you can’t breathe—no, till you can’t even make a sound for the pleasure.”

My face heats up—and my chest does, too.

“You wouldn’t…”

“I’m just saying, it’s what I’d _like_ to do. You smell so good. And your teasing—grooming yourself right in the middle of the store—it’s as though you’re daring me to do just that.”

“I am not! I-i w-was just grooming!” I sputter. 

“Oh?” A deep, smooth voice washes over me and sinks into my ears. “I’m glad to see you’re getting along better today.”

I look up, and the demon is standing in front of the counter with an iced coffee in his hand. Rai is still not stopping and I struggle just a little.

“Don’t get up. I’d hate to be the cause of your next punishment, kitten.” 

My cheeks flush deeply, and I ring up the demon while Rai is still grooming my tail. I collect the demon’s money and open the cash register.

“Your change, sir.”

“Thank you. It’s unusual to see the two of you out and about when it’s obvious you’re both craving each other. Surely, you have someone to watch the store for you? It can’t be healthy to keep him waiting.” 

Is he talking to me? _I’m_ keeping _Rai_ waiting? My bristled ears flatten and I suppress a growl.

“I thank you for your concern, but I’m just fine.”

“Kitten, you may be new to this, but I can sense these things. It would be wise for you—and your adorable round behind—to comply with your master's demands this time.”

“Excuse me?” I can’t believe my ears and this intrusive talk. It’s really none of his business, and I hate the fact that he is reminding me that he saw Rai spank me with the spatula yesterday.

“Are you still sore today?” He leans his head across the counter to ask, resting his chin on his hands, elbows bent. Again, I’m stunned and appalled—and Rai is still licking my tail. Shouldn’t he say something?

That aside, I _am_ pretty sore today—and not from the spanking so much, I think. It’s from our other activities. But I’m not going to answer that. It’s rude.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’m fine.”

“You should see to his needs as well. I can smell the desire on him,” the demon says to Rai. “His scent is quite sweet and terribly enticing.” 

Rai looks up, and I can feel—but not hear—a growl in his throat. What the hell is he thinking?  
  
“Have a good day,” I say, trying to urge him to leave.

As he departs, smirking knowingly, I hear Bardo’s truck drive up. Rai drops my tail, kisses the tips of both ears and then pauses for a moment. He leans down and touches my chin—and I try to resist, but I just can’t. I immediately comply, feeling my body go soft and submissive, and I expose my throat by lifting my chin. He kisses my lips—an intimate and deep kiss—leaving me desperate for something more when he pulls away. 

Rai wanders to the back room and I hear him bitching at Bardo—but then, he calls for me.

“Konoe. I need your help back here.” 

There’s no one at the register at the moment, though several customers are looking through the store. I walk toward Rai’s voice, and Bardo passes me on his way up to the register. He gives me a wink and I blush, turning away quickly and rushing toward Rai. I can’t explain it, but I feel so much more comfortable—so much better—when I stay within arm’s length of the silver cat today. The needy feeling is unnerving, but denying it would be pointless.

“Yes? Can I help?” I’m embarrassed and afraid my feelings might show up in my expression, so I don’t actually look at him directly.

“Put these supplies into the closet.”

“Sure.” I grab the new stack of cups and carry them with me to the closet. It’s a nice-sized storage area, easily as well organized as Rai’s office. It’s easy for me to tell where stuff goes. I’m reaching up to put the package on a shelf that is almost too tall for me to reach, when suddenly, the door to the closet closes softly. 

My ears twitch when I hear the sound—it’s not very light in here—a single lightbulb casts a soft warm glow around. However, when I turn around, I can see Rai standing in front of the door, leaning up against it with his arms crossed.

“I need to just admit it. I made a miscalculation this morning.” 

Again, my ears twitch in confusion.

“A miscalculation?” I ask.

“Yes. I was sure I could wait till I got you back home after work, and I mistakenly let you sleep in late.”

“Wait for what?” I really don’t know what he’s talking about, but he advances two steps and grabs my shoulders. “J-just a second…”

“I’ve waited far too many seconds. I would have been fine if I hadn’t seem you grooming yourself up at the counter—for all to see.”

“What? I don’t understand what you m-” But I don’t get to finish my question, because Rai’s lips crash against mine—urgent and hot and desperate. I let out a low moan when his fangs bruise my lips and I open my mouth wider to accommodate his rough kissing.

His claws drawn, he runs his fingers through the fur on my ears and my tail, pulling me in close to his body. He unties my apron and lets it fall to the ground. The heat I was feeling earlier comes back full-force—like a bolt of lightning. I soften my body against him, letting myself melt into him. He feels so good!

I forget where I am when he is caressing me, and I don’t bother to stifle my voice when he untucks my shirt from my jeans and strokes my stomach. When he reaches for my belt, I nip his lip—and it doesn’t occur to me right now that customers can probably hear my vocalizations.

With frightening efficiency, Rai unbuckles my belt and unbuttons and unzips my jeans, slipping his hand down the front of my pants. My purr gets louder and wetter and I can hardly stand it. I feel impatient and eager, and I want him to touch me more. He doesn’t waste any time—he pushes my pants and underwear down to my knees, stroking me gently and cupping my ass.

“Are you still sore?” He whispers, and he licks my ear.

“Nnngh—I’m fine,” I reply. “Please…”

“Turn around,” he commands—shooting a shiver down my back and bristling the fur on my tail. I love it when he tells me what to do—and it doesn’t occur to me till later that _how_ turned on I get from that low heated commanding voice may be weirdly out of proportion.

As I comply, I am reminded of the last time he commanded me in his office—telling me to take out the ruler from the desk drawer and bend over his desk. And before that—when he told me to hold onto the counter just before he spanked me with the spatula. And my gods, _why_ is that so hot right now?

I hear his ragged breath in my ear as I am pushed into a stack of boxes—filled with supplies, I think. It makes my breath catch in my throat and I hardly know what to do with myself. I feel like I am drowning and am gasping for air.

His hands stroke my lower back and hook around the base of my tail, and his fingers caress me just lightly below. It feels to me like he is hesitating, and it frustrates me.

“Please…” I beg—and my voice isn’t a whisper anymore. 

I feel the warmth of his body leaning over my back and he pushes up my t-shirt.

“Relax.” A finger—or maybe two—slips inside me and an indulgent, purring sigh slips out of my mouth.

“Ooooooh.” Again, later I will realize I did not keep my voice down.

My hips thrust backward on their own and more than I have ever wanted anything, I want him inside me—now. I don’t want to wait. My body is hot and I know that I will feel so much better with him inside me.

“Please,” I whisper again.

I hear a soft chuckle in response to my eagerness, but he is pushing up behind me—and I can tell he’s stripped off his apron and loosened his jeans.

“Such a polite kitten.” He is tormenting me with the slow, gentle touches, stretching me open, and the other hand alternately brushing my dick and grasping and tugging my tail. It’s making my lips, cheeks, and the tips of my nose and ears feel numb and tingly, and it gets harder to breathe.

“Please—just…”

“What.” Again, not a question, but a command to answer, murmured with a hot breath. His tongue dives deep inside my ear, which only serves to remind me what is coming. I’m lifting up my tail vulgarly, pressing back against him. 

“Please!”

“As sweet and polite as your begging is, I can’t possibly know what you want unless you ask for it specifically, kitten.”

My frustration has built up enough to overpower my anxiety and shyness, and that is what allows me to open my mouth. My fangs are bared, my claws drawn and digging into the boxes in front of me.

“Please—just fuck me!”

Another soft chuckle and I feel him, hot and hard, pressing inside me. It doesn’t hurt—not even a little—probably because of the heat, I assume. I had no idea I could feel like this—my heart feels full enough to burst. Of course, I stay vocal.

He isn’t slow or gentle, either—he starts thrusting almost violently, pounding his hips against my ass. The sound of our skin slapping against each other should embarrass me, but it isn’t. It’s heating me up even more.

He keeps nipping my nape, my shoulders, my ears—and whenever his lips get close to my ear, I can hear the hot sound of his breath and soft sighs sink into my body. And they sink right to my waist.

Changing his angle a little, thrusting upward, that slow, sinking pleasure starts to come over my body. It’s like magic! My chest warms up and my skin starts to vibrate. I startle a little when I see light spilling from my skin and when I hear my song. It’s soft at first, but gets louder and louder. It’s pleasure—expressing pure delight and pleasure in this connection.

My ears hum and tingle, my tail bristles. When I feel his hand on my dick, fucking me in time to his movement, it’s only minutes before I start to come undone. 

“Ah—please—hmmm…” My voice sounds weird, like someone else, high-pitched and desperate and incredibly sexy. And that turns me on even more. I am pushed over the cliff and beyond the point of no return.

He purrs loudly when I spill into his fist—my vision flashing white, my fur bristled, my body tensing up and clenching around him. A soft, pleasured sigh fills my ears when I feel him spill inside my body.

My song fades out quickly and I am utterly relaxed and spent, leaning against the boxes and gripping tightly with my claws so I won’t collapse. A warm sensation floods my chest—and then creeps up slowly into my cheeks and ears, like the blood that has pooled in my hips is suddenly released and gushes through the rest of my body.

I shudder when he pulls out of me. Something in my heart aches when we are no longer connected. But I feel a soft touch against my skin when he starts to clean me up with a cloth.

“You certainly don’t hold your voice down,” he whispers softly. “I’m shocked—I would have thought you’d fight to keep your voice quiet and calm.”

“Ah—I’m sorry,” I reply, clearly embarrassed. 

“I don’t mind. I love the sound of your voice. And your song.” After a brief pause, Rai says, “I’m sure our customers loved it, too.”

“Um…” I’m incredibly ashamed—but I’ve lost all ability to move or do anything. I’m helpless. 

“I think next time, you should sing to me first—and then let me fuck you when you’re paralyzed and helpless.”

“You’re already thinking of next time?” My tail flicks nervously, almost as though in anticipation. Would I enjoy that? Being so helpless and vulnerable, and letting him do as he likes?

“When we get home.”

A small sound escapes my lips again—a mix between a meow and a growl—and it’s incredibly embarrassing. Why am I looking forward to that? Amazingly, I hear myself responding in a quiet voice.

“I can’t wait.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been incredibly down the past week or two--and my updates feel awfully lame to me. But I figured I haven't updated in a while, so here we are.


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